Camas deems gas station risks ‘non-significant’

The city of Camas has again determined a proposed gas station complex on Northeast 13th Street, which drew complaints from neighbors earlier this year, does not pose significant adverse risks to the environment.

The City issued its second State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) “determination of non-significance” Aug 15, after reviewing revised documents the applicant turned in July 15, and will take public comments on its second determination of non-significance through Thursday, Aug. 29.

The applicant, Taz Khan, has proposed building a 4,100-square-foot convenience store with gas pumps and a drive-through car wash on a 0.97-acre parcel zoned Business Park, at 20101 N.E. 13th St., in Camas.

According to the City’s documents, the site contains an existing single-family home and two outbuildings, a developing business park on its southern edge and is located east of a single-family residence and west of land owned by Camas Meadows Golf Club. To the north of the proposed gas station-convenience store — across Northeast 13th Street — are more single-family homes.

The gas station will displace the existing home on the property and will remove an Oregon white oak tree — a tree species known to provide critical habitat for a variety of threatened or endangered animals and birds.

According to the SEPA report, a traffic analysis conducted by Charbonneau Engineering, LLC showed the new development will add traffic to nearby roads, including 60 new trips expected to occur between the hours of 7 and 9 a.m. and 81 new trips between 4 and 6 p.m. Fueling tanker trucks will be limited to filling the gas station tanks between the hours of 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. to “avoid impacting peak-hour traffic,” according to the report.

In February, several Camas residents who live near the proposed gas station told Camas City Council they opposed the project and urged city officials to consider the development’s possible negative environmental and public health impacts.

On Tuesday, Feb. 20, during the Camas City Council’s regular meeting, eight Camas residents spoke against the proposed development, saying they were concerned the gas station would negatively impact local traffic, the environment and the health and safety of those living, playing or going to school near the site.

“These are real concerns,” Russell Wegner said of the opponents’ environmental, traffic and safety worries. “I feel this is a mistake to proceed in this location.”

Wegner’s daughter, Tamra Wegner, said she was concerned the gas station would pollute the air and ground water.

“(The station would release) 24,000 liters of vapors each month,” Tamra Wegner said. “Vapors travel approximately 600 feet in all directions, depending on the winds. And diesel (fuel) can put out double that amount. We know it rains here — a lot. Where are all of those compounds going to? There is an aquifer (near) the gas station that supplies wells on 13th Street. … With all of our rain, how many miles can the runoff go?”

As a teenager who frequently walks in the area, the younger Wagner said she was concerned the gas station would impact the “health of kids walking to and from school.”

“We already have four gas stations in that area,” Tamra Wegner said. “In other states, new gas stations are being banned or banned from adding new gas pumps. We want to reduce (carbon) emissions right now.”

She told the Council the issue was important to younger generations.

“This issue will be affecting my generation more than any of yours,” Tamra Wegner told the Council members. “This is my future. And the big question here is — is this the kind of future we really want?”

Comments on the SEPA determination may be emailed to communitydevelopment@cityofcamas.us or through regular mail to City of Camas, SEPA Official, Community Development Department, 616 N.E. Fourth Ave. Camas, WA 98607.