GOLDSBORO, N.C. — A new Wawa convenience store and gas station is one step closer to becoming reality after the Goldsboro City Council approved a special use permit Monday night, despite concerns from nearby property owners about traffic and road changes.
The request, identified as Special Use Permit SU-226, allows for the construction and operation of a 6,373-square-foot convenience store with fuel sales at the southwest corner of East U.S. 70 and South N.C. 111 Highway. Wawa is the company behind the proposal, with Kimley-Horn serving as the planning and design consultant. The property is owned by Simon Ray Falls.
The site, formerly home to a used auto sales business, is zoned Airport Business District and lies within the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base noise overlay contour and Accident Potential Zone 1. The district is intended to accommodate clean, low-impact business and distribution uses compatible with nearby residential and commercial areas.
Plans call for eight fuel pumps with 16 fueling positions, 43 parking spaces — including three accessible spaces — and 24-hour, seven-day-a-week operation with eight employees per shift.
The 5.41-acre parcel will be subdivided into two lots, with the Wawa built on approximately 2.33 acres. The remaining 3.08-acre lot is reserved for future development. Access plans include a full-access entrance along N.C. 111 and a right-in, right-out entrance along U.S. 70. The project will also include roadway improvements required by the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
While council members emphasized that the special use permit decision focused only on the appropriateness of the use — not detailed site design — several residents voiced concerns during the public hearing.
Steve Bryan said that although the new business would improve the property, changes tied to the project could cut off access to his land due to DOT road modifications. He asked the council to work with the state transportation department to consider lowering the speed limit along U.S. 70 to improve safety for residents and businesses.
His brother, Glen Casey Bryan, echoed those concerns, saying he regularly observes traffic congestion stretching “from stop light to stop light” during peak morning and evening hours. He also expressed worry that additional commercial growth in the area could further worsen traffic conditions in the future.
Despite those concerns, council members voted to approve the special use permit, clearing the way for the project to move forward.
