The Gaithersburg
Wawa store, that mega-gas-station/convenience store chain's first in Montgomery County, will open in November or December 2020 if approved by the city. Wawa would beat its arch-rival Sheetz to MoCo, as the latter has only come as close as Frederick County so far.
Wawa Gaithersburg will be located at 405 South Frederick Avenue (a.k.a. MD 355), on a site currently occupied by a 1950s retail structure. That existing building was found to have no historical significance by the Gaithersburg Historic District Commission in May, clearing the way for its demolition once the Wawa is approved.
 |
| Front of Wawa Gaithersburg store |
The new Wawa is expected to generate 274 new automobile trips during the peak morning rush hour, and 259 new trips at the peak of evening rush hour. Both are likely conservative estimates, especially until the novelty of a Wawa in our county wears off. Wawa will provide 46 parking spaces, including two handicapped spaces and two motorcycle spaces. Two bicycle parking spaces will also be provided at the front of the store. Wawa is planning to have more parking than is allowed under City code, and therefore is requesting a waiver to be able to exceed the maximum.
Wawa's arched gas station canopy will be familiar to many who regularly travel non-interstate highways in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. The Gaithersburg Wawa will feature six gasoline pumps.
An initial joint public hearing will be held before the Mayor and Council and Planning Commission on
August 5, 2019. City staff has not made a recommendation on approval yet, because the first public hearing has yet to take place. The Mayor and Council will likely cast their final votes on the project in October, and the developer will have permits in hand by December, if the schedule moves ahead smoothly.
 |
| Gaithersburg Wawa site plan |
Kudos to developer 1788 Holdings for delivering the first Wawa in Montgomery County - and it's going to be full-scale Wawa, not their urban format store. Will Wawa open in time for Montgomery County to have their first taste of the famous Wawa Thanksgiving travel tradition, the Wawa Turkey Bowl, on Thanksgiving Eve 2020?
Stay tuned to Sam Eig!
That location (IMO) has serious traffic issues with its proximity to Summit Avenue and the dedicated right turn lane. In addition, its location will make it a prime before and after school hangout for GHS students.
ReplyDeleteI honestly feel this is the worst possible site for the new and upcoming Wawa. I understand everyone's excitement however, the traffic in that area during school hours alone is outrageous already. Plus, this is poor planning for this intersection. It's not like the Wawa is placed at a "true corner" of an intersection. It will be many feet off. This not only makes it more dangerous for pedestrians but cars as well. There will be no access for customers to head South on 355 besides making a u-turn at the light on Summit, which has a lot of pedestrians, especially when students are in school.
ReplyDelete