City planners approve permit for new Rutter's near Berkeley Springs DMV

by Kate Shunney

Last week, Morgan County planners approved a final application for a commercial and industrial site permit from Rutter Convenience Stores to build a grocery center and store south of Berkeley Springs.

The 7-0 approval, which came after a public hearing at the June 25 planning commission meeting, will take effect immediately, giving contractors the opportunity to move forward with site preparation and construction.

Planning Office staff member Alex Moore told the Planning Commission board that he recommended approval and that the county's consulting engineer also recommended that the project be allowed.

Sean Fernandez of Fox & Associates attended the hearing. He is a project manager with the Hagerstown firm associated with the Berkeley Springs Rutter project.

Rutter's will be built next to Cavendish Drive, which is shared by the new Berkeley Springs Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) office. Cavendish Drive is located 3.5 miles south of Berkeley Springs, west of U.S. 522.

The location is about three-quarters of a mile from the start of the future U.S. 522 bypass.

Fernandez said the retail portion of the new Rutter's would be 13,467 square feet. He added that there would be 30 semi-truck parking spaces and 49 car parking spaces surrounding the store.

Rutter's #115 store will have four truck fueling islands in the rear of the store, separate from the seven regular vehicle fueling islands in the front.

The underground fuel tanks will be located on the north side of the site.

In response to questions, Fernandez said there are currently no plans to install electric vehicle charging stations at the new Rutter's.

There will be two access points to the gas station and store on US 522.

An entrance will be located on the north side of the property and will allow “right-hand only” traffic to enter the gas station from the southbound lane of US 522.

Northbound traffic on US 522 will be directed by a new traffic light at Cavendish Drive.

According to site plans, Cavendish Drive will have three lanes at its intersection with US 522.

Traffic can enter Cavendish Drive from US 522 and drivers can exit Cavendish Drive into either a northbound turn lane or a southbound turn lane.

Damon Hall, site development project manager for Rutter's, said in response to questions that construction could begin within a few months and the company expects to open the new store and gas station in eight to 10 months.