Plan To Revitalize Gas Station on East Center Street in Wallingford Area Is Dropped

A somewhat controversial plan to bring a gas station to a largely residential area in Wallingford is officially dead.

The applicant who wanted to revitalize a vacant gas station at 862 East Center St., as well as add a convenience store to the building, formally withdrew the plans on Friday, said Town Planner Kacie Costello.

The applicant, M.C.F.H. LLC, gave no reason for the withdrawal, Costello said. Online records show the LLC's principal agent as Bristol resident Syed Abbas.

Wallingford Patch placed a call with the applicant's attorney, Joan Malloy, Friday afternoon.

The gas station proposal drew notable concerns from residents, Planning & Zoning commissioners and Costello, all of whom took issue with the traffic impact the proposed convenient store could bring to this section of Route 150. The station would have been located near I-91.

The Zoning Commission postponed a vote on the application last month, citing the traffic issue.

But, a new business could still be filling this space soon.

Costello said that on Wednesday a new applicant filed a proposal to turn the vacant gas station into office space.

Because the office space proposal is a "non-conforming use" — meaning a business in a residential zone — it will still require approval from the Planning & Zoning Commission, which will likely discuss the application during the June monthly meeting.

Costello noted that an office would likely generate less traffic than a convenience store.

"I would say an office is not more objectionable than a gas station," she said.

Editor's Note: We have adjusted the headline to more accurately reflect the facts in the story.