Stapleton residents have submitted a petition in hopes of stopping a planned King Soopers gas station in the proposed Eastbridge Town Center at Martin Luther King Boulevard and Havana Street.
Residents gathered about 425 signatures and submitted it to the Stapleton Design Review Committee, which reviews plans in the neighborhood and makes recommendations to developers.
Many residents have opposed plans for the town center for the better part of a year, but now they are fighting the gas station on the grounds that it is hazardous to the health of nearby residents.
“This is probably the last, biggest issue about this development that we would like to see before they break ground,” said Stapleton resident David Mueller, who collected signatures.
The Stapleton Design Review Committee met last week and recommended that the gas station move from the southwest end of the town center to the northwest side, which Councilman Chris Herndon, who represents the area, said would move it further from homes. Mueller said it’s a decent solution but still too close.
Senior development vice president Jim Chrisman with , the master developer and landowner for Stapleton, said the idea to move the gas station to the other side of the lot was due to concerns over lighting.
Chrisman and Forest City have been criticized by residents for lack of communication and the unwillingness to disallow some of the plans proposed by King Soopers. Chrisman said it’s not Forest City’s business to tell a buyer what to do.
“For us, this is getting into the operations of our client, King Soopers, and I don’t feel that’s appropriate for us to do,” he said.
King Soopers did not respond to an interview request. Emails sent to Mueller from a King Soopers representative state that King Soopers is planning to meet again with the community, but no date was given.
Many , 22,000 square feet of retail and a large parking lot. Residents wanted, and said they were promised, a smaller grocer and a more active center that is not dominated by a grocer and parking lot.
King Soopers has right of first refusal on the site because it has a store at 2810 Quebec St., but Forest City representatives said last year that smaller chains were not interested in Eastbridge and King Soopers no longer opens the smaller fresh fare markets.
Herndon said he has met with many residents on the matter, but he’s also waiting to see the process unfold.
“I trust the process, and we’ll get to a decision that’s appropriate for this site and the community,” he said.
Those who have said the gas station is hazardous to the community were rebuffed by Denver Environmental Health, which made a presentation to the community last November and presented data showing that the effects of the gas station would not be harmful at this site, but did suggest that the developer install some tank vent pipes to help with fumes.
Residents are continuing their effort, and while Mueller knows it’s an uphill battle, he hopes at least the gas station will go elsewhere and hopes for better communication going forward.
“Everyone wants the right thing in the neighborhood,” he said. “When parties don’t reach out to community, we just get loud and make petitions.”
Joe Vaccarelli: 303-954-2396, jvaccarelli@denverpost.com or twitter.com/joe_vacc
