Boardman likely to get another gas station as Sheetz deal nears completion

BOARDMAN - With the move of grave marker company Burkland Monuments, Boardman township is one step closer to getting a new Sheetz gas station at the corner of U.S. Route 224 and Southern Boulevard.

Burkland Monuments, which rented that space for 13 years, moved to 6540 Market St. last week. But choosing to make the move took about a year and was not a smooth process, said owner John Butler.

The company's negotiations with Platz Real Estate, which manages the property, were tumultuous.

"We were told many things that were not true," said Butler. "It was a mess." Platz would not comment on the situation, citing the pending sale of the property.

In the midst of the dealings, Burkland Monuments' storefront was vandalized.

Early in the morning on June 11, a projectile broke the business's glass front door.

Butler thought that perhaps someone had thrown a rock at the store's glass door, but the police report notes, "a partial circular hole which appeared to have been caused by a B.B. gun."

Sheetz stepped in and saved the soured negotiations between Platz and Burkland. Butler did not specify the details of the contract, but it likely eased the pain of having to relocate.

"They did everything they said they were going to. They treated us with respect," said John Butler, the owner of Burkland.

But Butler said he would have preferred to stay in the old location: "We'd rather be at the corner."

Burkland's deal with Sheetz Inc. has not been finalized. Sheetz is also close to purchasing the property, which is also owned by Boardman township and Myron Felden of Poland. But Sheetz Inc. has already acquired the zoning permits necessary to build a gas station on the plot.

On June 18, the Boardman township Board of Zoning Appeals unanimously approved a conditional use permit for Sheetz to operate a gas station there despite concerns about flooding and traffic from residents.

Since the devastating rains in May 2019, some Boardman residents have demanded that new construction in the township stop until flooding issues can be addressed.

"If we start experiencing flooding, [Sheetz is] not going to fix it," resident Bobbi Terwilliger said at the June meeting.

The property's stormwater retention plans have been approved at the county level.

Meanwhile, less than three miles down U.S. Route 224, the fate of another gas station will soon be decided.

Meijer, which is building a store on Lockwood Boulevard, is looking to build a gas station across the street from the future store.

But the Boardman Zoning Commission denied the request at a meeting on Jan. 22, citing concerns about traffic and commercialization.

The Boardman township trustees get a final say on the decision at a special meeting at the Boardman government center on March 23 at 4 p.m.

Residents have circulated a petition urging the trustees to heed the recommendation of the Board of Zoning Appeals.

This story was originally published March 2, 2020 at 5:45 AM with the headline "Boardman likely to get another gas station as Sheetz deal nears completion."