POST FALLS — The Post Falls Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to approve the annexation and commercial zoning of a 3.04-acre piece of land to be used for a gas station and convenience store located on the northeast corner of Prairie Avenue and North Chase Road.

The commission's decision will come before the City Council for final approval at a future meeting.

“We also think that this provides for orderly urban growth and efficient extension of City services,” said property applicant Connie Krueger. “Definitely an area that we’re seeing a lot of demand for growth.”

The project will include the construction of a 5,000-square-foot building, a passenger vehicle-oriented fueling area and several landscaping, parking and circulation improvements. 

According to project documents, the proposal would have the property served by city sewer and water through East Greenacres Irrigation District. The property is located on a "commercial node,” located near or bordering zoned residential properties. 

“Commercial nodes” are highlighted under future potential land use in the city’s Comprehensive Plan. 

“It looks at [how] the future land use could potentially be more beneficial as a commercial opportunity,” said Post Falls Associate Planner Ethan Porter during the meeting. 

Porter said factors like the intensity of nearby roadways and the use of nearby intersections are considered when making that designation. 

Planning and Zoning Commission Chairman James Steffensen was concerned about the proposed gas station and convenience store’s lighting and how it could affect nearby residents. 

Krueger said she could not answer many questions about lighting, as the project is not yet at that stage, but noted that developers did consider that concern when designing the project. 

“The canopy is located on the south side of the building where it is kind of taken away and protected by the design of the building a little bit from that light trespass as well,” Krueger said. 

Commissioner Chris Schreiber said the city’s annexing of the property fit with the guidelines established in the Comprehensive Plan. He said that both the property’s location relative to busy streets and the property’s location in the "transitional area” of the Comprehensive Plan meant the commercial node designation was correct. 

Vice Chairman Ray Kimball said properties like the one proposed at Prairie Avenue and North Chase Road were “exactly” what the city was looking for when it updated the Comprehensive Plan and identified potential commercial nodes.

“This is the type of commercial development that you want or expect in those kinds of locations,” he said.