Grayhawk residents turn thumbs down to proposed gas station
Rejection continues trend in north Scottsdale
by Barry Cohen

NORTH SCOTTSDALE – After investing thousands of dollars in architectural fees and hundreds of hours in planning meetings, conferences with city officials and open houses with neighbors, commercial developer Pederson Group Inc. decided to throw in the towel. The company withdrew its application for a special use permit to allow its proposed tenant, 4 Sons Gas Station and Car Wash, to build at the Hayden Peak Crossing Shopping Center, located at the southeast corner of Hayden Road and Thompson Peak Parkway. Instead, a Bank of America will be built on the site.

This continues a trend in north Scottsdale characterized by strong community opposition to gas stations, no matter how upscale. At least three others have been proposed but later denied or withdrawn.

“We had planned to put in a very attractive gas station, car wash and convenience store, one built to the highest standard,” explained Gary Pederson, vice president of the Phoenix‑based company specializing in retail projects. “The facility was designed with the same architectural features, materials and colors utilized in the balance of Hayden Peak Crossing.”

Pederson had already made concessions to residents of the Grayhawk community. Original plans called for a Superpumper station to be built, but when residents asked the company to restrict its hours of operation, Superpumper bowed out, wanting the option of operating 24 hours a day.

That’s when Pederson turned to 4 Sons. But even though 4 Sons agreed to curtail its hours, residents again gave a thumbs down. Pederson could have gone ahead with the application, but feared major battles at the city planning hearing and, later, before the full city council.

Calling opposition to the 4 Sons proposal a “knee‑jerk reaction,” Pederson stated that many Grayhawk residents supported the gas station, car wash and convenience store. “Unfortunately,” he continued, “when you hold public meetings, only the naysayers tend to show up.”

According to Pederson, about 10‑12 Grayhawk residents aggressively opposed the project. “These residents felt the gas station wasn’t ‘upscale’ enough for the community,” he said. “Everybody wants something like Kierland Commons in their neighborhood–that’s their ideal. But you don’t plop down one of those everywhere.”

Clif Tait, president of the Grayhawk Community Association, comprised of 3,800 residents, said opposition to the project was overwhelming. “A company we hired conducted a survey of our residents using a representative sampling,” he explained. “All but one community in Grayhawk was against the gas station.”

Among the major reasons residents opposed the station was the potential for environmental pollution resulting from gas spills from supply trucks and individuals filling their tanks, Tait related. Pederson said he also heard concerns about lighting, traffic and noise in meetings with residents.

Pederson was successful in getting a Circle K gas station built at the Grayhawk Plaza Shopping Center, located at the southeast corner of Scottsdale Road and Grayhawk Drive, calling that project “a separate war story. We spent a lot of time with the neighbors there and found a common ground,” he explained. “I thought we could do the same thing here, but there was no compromise.”

Robin Meinhart, a spokesperson for the City of Scottsdale, said residents in the northern part of the city haven’t expressed great concerns about a lack of gas stations. “People would rather have the open space or other businesses in their communities,” she added. “Maybe if gas prices go even higher that attitude will change.”

Reach the reporter at barry@thedesertadvocate.com