Wawa in Northern Kentucky: Here's where proposed Boone County stores stand
One of the proposed Wawas is in unincorporated Boone County. An earlier version of this article misstated the location.
The fate of a proposed Wawa in Florence will be decided this week and hinges on one factor – traffic. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and Florence City Council members will ultimately decide whether the popular northeast gas station and convenience store can be feasible in the city.
It's the second Wawa proposed in Northern Kentucky. The other is in unincorporated Boone County on Mount Zion Road. Wawa has also been proposed in Greater Cincinnati's Union, Colerain, and Liberty townships, according to a news release by the company.
More: Wawa, the popular gas station chain, plans to open in this Greater Cincinnati neighborhood
What is Wawa?
Wawa, based in Wawa, Pennsylvania, is known for its coffee varieties and menu items that includes hoagies, burritos, salads, and soup. It has a cult following in pop culture and part of the country. There have been viral songs about the convenience store and it has gotten shout outs on popular TV shows and on Saturday Night Live.
Where is Wawa expanding?
Wawa announced in December that it's moving into Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana over the next few years. It did not mention exactly where it was planning to build, though.
There are nearly 1,000 Wawas throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, and Washington, D.C.
The proposals in Northern Kentucky, however, still have a long way to go before they're a sure thing. Here's what we know about Northern Kentucky's shot at getting those hoagies to the local masses.
Florence traffic could derail Wawa
In Florence, a Wawa is being proposed on about two acres at 7640 and 7670 Burlington Pike. It's located at the intersection of Burlington Pike and Cardinal Drive.
Todd Morgan, a senior planner with the Boone County planning commission, said the proposal might not be approved.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is currently not allowing access points to Kentucky Route 18, Burlington Pike in the area being considered, due to traffic concerns. So if the Wawa is built, cars would have to enter and exit the gas station through Cardinal Drive.
Morgan said in an interview that Florence city staff said in a letter they do not support allowing access to Cardinal Drive because they're concerned traffic will back up as people try to get to the popular convenience store.
He said, in his opinion, "Unless the state changes their mind, it is unlikely the city would change course and allow two access points on Cardinal Drive."
Ultimately, city council members will have the final say on the project.
Morgan said the applicants for the project will decide Tuesday whether they will take plans for the Wawa completely off the table or not.
Other Boone County Wawa still has a long way to go
The other proposed Wawa in unincorporated Boone County would sit on about 2.6 acres at Mount Zion Road and Dixie Highway. North Carolina-based national consulting company Kimley-Horn and Arizona-based architectural firm HFA are working on the project.
A public hearing about the project was held Sept. 6 but the proposal still has to be reviewed several times before the Wawa development is approved.
It will be reviewed by the Planning Commission's Zone Change Committee at 5 p.m. Sept. 20. Then, the entire Planning Commission will also have to approve the site in October.
The Boone County Fiscal Court will then have about three months to either approve or deny the development and the developer will have to have the site plan and building permit approved.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Where will the Wawas be in Northern Kentucky?
