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Board approves RaceTrac stations
One at Hammond’s Crossing, the other on McGinnis Ferry
Forsyth County

Two RaceTrac gas stations are coming to Forsyth County.

On Thursday, Forsyth County commissioners unanimously approved plans for new RaceTrac stores at Hammond’s Crossing – the intersection of Browns Bridge Road (Hwy. 369) and Keith Bridge Road (Hwy. 306) – and 4100 McGinnis Ferry Road.

For the Hammond’s Crossing store, commissioners approved both a conditional use permit and alternate design approval for the development.

Alternate design approval was needed due to the Coal Mountain Overlay. Instead of a slanted canopy for the covered area at gas stations, the roof will be flat, which commissioners supported.

“Not only, to us, is it a better design, it matches the building as a whole,” said Christopher Light, an attorney representing RaceTrac.

That store is planned to be more than 5,400 square feet and will have 38 parking spots as well as green space.

The new store will go at the side of the intersection currently occupied by a small strip mall. 

The only speaker in opposition was attorney Keisha Chambless, who represented an adjacent property owner and wanted a small landscape strip removed in order to not limit entrance to that store. RaceTrac officials agreed with the request, and commissioners approved removing the strip.

“Our objection is that the way that that has been designed and put in interferes with our client’s entrance to the property and the parking spaces,” she said.

Though both stores are gas stations, Chambless said she represented the property owner, not those operating the store, and her position was “not a business competition issue.”

District 4 Commissioner Cindy Jones Mills, who represents the area, also included a condition allowing for a sign designating the area as Hammond’s Crossing, which will require a change to the Coal Mountain overlay or the county’s sign ordinance.

For the McGinnis Ferry station, commissioners approved the rezoning of 1.5 acres from agriculture district (A1) to commercial business district (CBD) and conditional-use permit. The station will have 28 parking spaces and green space.

“RaceTrac has really gone above and beyond to sit down at all the meetings we’ve had, and we’ve had many of them with all the different stakeholders,” said District 2 Commissioner Dennis Brown. “To the extent they could, they’ve met literally every one that was asked for from the degree of design down to the landscaping.”