NORTH SMITHFIELD – The North Smithfield Planning Board rejected suggestions that they should consider traffic impacts from a coming new school in nearby Woonsocket as they considered a new gas station at the former site of Beef Barn and Coffee & Cream, voting 3-1 to approve it.
Board members granted preliminary approval on the 3,400-square-foot gas station and convenience store with drive-thru after extensive testimony from experts for the applicant and objectors to the project, owners of the CT Gas Company station across the street
Attorney Elizabeth Noonan, for applicant Marwan Eieadah, had received a continuance from last month so their traffic engineer could be there and further explain the complexities of traffic plans approved of by the state. They gave those details at the Sept. 10 meeting, and also shared that they reduced the number of parking spaces on site as previously requested.
The 1-acre property at 3 Greenville Road previously housed Beef Barn and Coffee & Cream side by side in a barn-style complex. A fire destroyed Coffee & Cream in late 2017, and Beef Barn subsequently relocated.
The master plan for the gas station was approved a year ago this month for this busy intersection of Greenville and Smithfield Roads.
Robert Michaud, managing principal at MDM Transportation Consultants, offered extensive testimony on everything they’ve done to create less of a traffic impact on the area, as well as enhance circulation on site, emphasizing that many of the surrounding commercial properties, including CT Gas, are not meeting current RIDOT standards as they will be. He called it essentially a “free-for-all” in the area, with patrons of multiple businesses backing into the street.
The Beef Barn property was a “destination location,” said Michaud, with expansive parking and large uncontrolled driveways and little if any pedestrian accommodations. Until its closure in 2021, he said, it remained a very confusing parking lot.
Michaud said they’ve done extensive work with RIDOT, and have gotten the all-clear from the state agency on all plans, including queue standards for cars lining up in the drive-thru.
This is a business that, unlike Beef Barn, will rely on an existing traffic stream and not new trips, said Michaud. Changes on traffic signal timing for the area to accommodate peak hours is the only major change being required by RIDOT, and they’ll also have a no left turn requirement.
Of the 62 crashes that happened in the vicinity from 2020 to 2024, Michaud continued, 42 percent we related directly to the driveways at CT Gas, and several also at the Beef Barn. Those numbers informed their decision to limit curb opening and better control traffic, he said.
Gas station is not a unique use in this area, he said, and this “facility of convenience” will have “more than ample capacity” for customers lining up. These people will already be in the area, he said, and will simply be coming here instead of to another similar business in the neighborhood.
He also covered other topics, such as public safety access.
Attorney Michael Kelly, representing CT Gas Company, repeatedly made the case that the future impacts of traffic at the Woonsocket elementary school being built at Barry Field should be included in any analysis.
Board member Jeff Porter and Chairperson Gary Palardy shot back that the school traffic is not the applicant’t issue, and Porter said they need to only focus on the application at hand. The elementary school traffic process has been a “blunder for everyone,” said Porter, but it will be up to other parties to sort it out. RIDOT has a big mess to sort out, whether it’s a school or something else, Palardy said.
Kelly said it’s the responsibility of the board to consider what happens at that intersection, but board members disagreed. Palardy said it’s not about not caring about what happens, as implied by Kelly, but how is it fair to any prospective business owner in town who’s trying to develop something new and tell them that they’re going to factor in what’s happening in a neighboring city.
Porter said they can’t plan for what-ifs, and there are plenty of those in these deliberations. He said the applicant has met their burden.
Kelly also produced an expert to talk mainly about inconsistencies in the applicant’s studies, though Noonan pointed out that they were hired by the objectors.
Kelly offered several other objections, including a lack of testimony on specific plans for the gas system to be used at the station. The school will have a serious impact, he added.
“If those improvements aren’t done, there’s going to be a very serious problem,” he said.
The attorney also added that a use variance for the drive-thru was a contravention of the law and illegal, saying an applicant has to show that they’ll lose all beneficial use of a property to get such an approval.
Resident Kevin Campbell said the proposal for the new station doesn’t deserve to be considered. He said if one puts a circle on Stop & Shop at Park Square and then goes out one mile in all directions, there are four gas stations. Traffic is already “insufferable” as it is, he said, and this proposal is just asking for trouble.
Porter offered a pair of extra stipulations prior to 3-1 approval, including that all deliveries by truck happen before ore after peak hours and that the applicant speak with Woonsocket fire officials to review site plans. He said he’s not comfortable overriding RIDOT’s analysis of impacts.
Member Roland Menard was the lone no vote, saying he wanted to stick with his previous vote against the project and he still sees this as an “extremely tight” parking and circulation situation.
Noonan put a number of topics on the record at the meeting for what’s expected to be an appeal, including the attorney for the objector being late with filings.
