Fort St. John approves Co-op Gas Bar development access change

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The Co-op Gas Bar in Fort St. John. (Energeticcity.ca staff)

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The city is moving forward in support of significant future renovations to a local Co-Op gas station property on 100th Street.

On August 25th, the City of Fort St. John council held a public hearing for a zoning amendment bylaw request to alter property access routes into and out of the Fort St. John Co-op Gas Bar on 114A Avenue and 100th Street.

A public hearing is part of the process of a municipal government approving a zoning bylaw, bylaw amendment or other such legislation, and it allows members of the public to submit their opinions on the request – either in person or writing – before council announces its final decision.

The city council passed a zoning bylaw amendment and held a public hearing regarding this development in December 2024 and received minimal opposition from residents at the time.

The December 2024 amendment request was submitted to approve an expansion of infrastructure on the property to allow for the construction of a second car wash, two commercial retail units – one of which would be a drive-thru restaurant – and additional outdoor seating areas, walking paths and green space.

The August 25th request pertained to the property’s accessibility from 100th Street. Specifically, the bylaw would see the property undergo rezoning to remove the requirement that car access from 100th Street needed to be ‘right-in, right-out only.’

By rezoning, the existing access onto 100th Street would be removed, and a new all-way access would be installed “on the north portion of the lot as part of future development,” a document submitted to council explained.

Following the public hearing, where no residents came forward to express their opinions either in person or in writing, the council unanimously voted to approve the bylaw.

The report to council did not indicate when construction approved under the bylaw would begin at the property, merely that the bylaw allowed for future construction.