Rushco market gasoline price sign.

Rushco Davidson Market under construction at I-77 Exit 30 may be unlike any highway-exit gas station you’ve ever seen. That observation by Commissioner Margo Williams came during a presentation at the Davidson Town Board’s monthly work session Tuesday night.

For one thing, the planned gas station and shop is two stories, with a downstairs food market and upstairs office space, officials said. And signage on the building and around the site will be unique as well, trying to fit the character of Davidson and existing design downtown along Main Street.

Rusher Oil Co. of Salisbury and developers Bobby and Joey Rusher first won approval for the building about 7 years ago. Their plan calls for a market, offices, gasoline pumps under a canopy and a single-story car wash.

“Is there any other gas station in America that looks like this?” Commissioner Williams asked.

Economic Development Manager Kris Krider replied, “There is a two-story gas station in Blowing Rock, but it’s an old house.”

^[1]

Rushco Davidson Market rendering. (Bizzell Design/via Davidson Planning Department)

“The uniqueness of this is just kind of astounding to me,” Ms. Williams said.

Mr. Krider added that “The Rushers have bent over backwards to work with us on this.”

SIGN REQUEST

The town board was reviewing the project again Tuesday because the developers are seeking approval for a conditional rezoning that would allow different signs than what is allowed under the town ordinance.

Town rules were designed for Main Street’s smaller buildings and don’t work when applied to buildings in the Exit 30 area, in general, town Economic Development Manager Kris Krider said.

“The scale of these buildings at (Exit 30) is considerably larger than our Main Street buildings,” Mr. Krider said.

So a large sign like the one on the multistory Harbour Place building would work fine at Exit 30. But it might be too large for a Main Street building,” Mr. Krider said.

The board looked at signs proposed on the building’s front and back, along the street showing gasoline prices, on the sides of the building designating upstairs tenants, and on the canopy, advertising the shop’s planned “Liberty” gasoline brand.

The town planning staff is recommending approval, with minor conditions.

The rezoning request was approved Monday night by the planning board, in an 8-1 vote. Commissioners took no action on Tuesday night. The sign package/rezoning still must go to a public hearing next month. Then commissioners will take a final vote.

Joey Rusher said Tuesday he wants the building to look good and meet Davidson’s ordinances. He has been working design firm Bizzell Design Inc. to come up with aesthetically attractive signs that are unique but still do the trick.

“Travelers coming off the highway , they’ve gotta know what it is,” Mr. Rusher told the Town Board. While Davidson residents might not need larger signs, travelers will. “We’re not going to be able to survive just on the Davidson traffic, so we really need the signage to let them know what it is.

Board member Brian Jenest liked the proposal, which already has the Planning Board and planning staff’s backing. “This is awesome. There is a somewhat similar gas station in Charleston … but it doesn’t come close to this,” Commissioner Jenest said.

Mr. Krider noted that this is the latest in a series of conditional rezonings to come before the town concerning Exit 30 area projects. He said the planning staff is working on a proposal to revise the sign ordinance.

DOCUMENTS AND LINKS

Sept. 27, 2010, Boards to review zone change for Exit 30 market signs.” ^[2]

Download a copy of the sign proposal (PDF, 7.5 MB), CLICK HERE> ^[3]

Download a copy of the Davidson planning staff analysis of the proposal, (PDF) CLICK HERE> ^[4] – The analysis recommends approval of the proposed sign package with some changes.