Proposed Circle K truck stop inflames nearby Goodyear residents

A trucker-friendly Circle K is slated for construction within 100 feet of the Pebble Creek retirement community recreational area in Goodyear, despite objections and protests from the community stakeholders.

A recommendation for approval from the Goodyear Planning and Zoning Commission came after a local church and the Pebble Creek community voiced written grievances to the city before the zoning board unanimously approved the motion.

According to the April Goodyear zoning board meeting, Refinery Church, just south of the planned 4.3-acre development, expressed concerns about traffic on 166th Avenue and trucks potentially entering the church property.

The church already receives traffic coming into its parking area from the large UPS delivery facility across the street and to the north of the church.

Jodi Hamill, a Circle K representative at the April Goodyear zoning meeting, said adding the Circle K likely will alleviate the UPS truck problem, not add to it. Hamill said simple signs would sway a curious trucker from turning left toward the  church and the signs would even fix the UPS trespass problem.

“They've had instances of trucks coming in, circulating their parking area and departing,” she said. “The nice thing about the Circle K location is that they'll know right away that they've made a wrong turn. So we think that this is a great solution that might actually alleviate some of the problems that the church has been experiencing.”

The zoning board was also made aware of a community pickleball court that will be established by Pebble Creek directly to the south of the station. The common recreational area will be within 100 feet of the station.

According to Pebble Creek resident Yvonne Rodrigues, some hundreds of community members just learned about the development on Wednesday.

 “The meeting yesterday there must have been at least 400 people in the room. We were all outraged,” she said. “We were all upset that they could even consider putting the diesel refueling station 100 feet from the current pickleball court location.”

During that community meeting, residents expressed concerns to leadership and Circle K reps over a possible increased transient presence, crime and truckers finding rest in or around the immediate area.

According to Hamill in the April zoning board meeting, truckers aren’t intended to stay in the seven truck parking spots. 

“The intention is to have a vehicle truck driver who's going to come in park … come into the store, get a beverage get a snack possibly walk over to one of the other quick-serve restaurants that will be on the parcel and then return to their vehicle and depart,” she said.

Rodrigues said Circle K reps repeated that messaging at an HOA meeting, and residents objected to their usage of “intent.”

“Well, we have no way of policing it,” Rodrigues said. “You know, they used words like intention, is not our intent, it's not our idea. You know, this is our guideline, but no one's going to enforce it.  They were dismissive of the residents. I'm still a young, healthy woman. There are many people here who aren't that way. And I can't believe they can't find a southern location to put this place.”

Rodrigues claims Circle K still needs to satisfy a statutory requirement showing the center will not harm the health or welfare of the people in the community pickleball area. She also claims the  gas station zoning is incompatible with the already approved pickleball court area.

In 2011, Arizona State University published research detailing convenience stores, particularly Circle K, had issues with heightened crime because of various problems, including issues in their layout, low manning and a lack of security control measures. 

According to the city, Pebble Creek residents have a shot to make their voices heard.

"There has been no final determination yet on the proposed Circle K use permit application at 166th Avenue & Indian School Road," wrote the city of Goodyear in a statement. "The city's role in this process is for the council to evaluate the application by considering two main elements — whether the proposed project will be materially detrimental to people living or working in the vicinity adjacent to the property, or the public welfare, and if it is reasonably compatible with uses permitted in the surrounding area. On April 12, the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended that the city council approve the project; however, nothing on this project will be final until council takes action. The commission serves as an advisory body to the city council on proposed development and is made up of residents who represent the community. The city values resident input and has already received several comments. A public hearing will be held on this matter on June 26 at 5 p.m. at Goodyear City Hall, 1900 N. Civic Square." 

Rodrigues said the community would likely bombard the June 26 Goodyear council meeting in response to the approvals and the "dismissive" HOA presentation by Circle K.

The Goodyear Independent reached out to Circle K, but no comment was received by press time.

Michael McDaniel can be reached at mmcdaniel@iniusa.org. We’d like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org.