Bradenton Church Wants To Build Thorntons Gas Station

A 24-hour gas station could be coming to State Route 64 in Bradenton in order to save Faith United Church of Christ from moving. 

Faith United Church of Christ is seeking approval for a Thorntons gas station on the corner of SR 64 and 48th St Court East, plotted on land beside the church. The church is selling the 1.83 acres of land to Thorntons help the church's struggling finances, said Fred Damianos of Faith United Church.

"The only offer we received was from Thorntons Inc," Damianos said.

After researching the family-owned company, the church voted unanimously to sell the property to Thorntons, which gave a non-refundable deposit to keep the church's operations afloat, Damianos added.

The Rev. Brian Bagley-Bonner said he doesn't want to think what would happen if the church would have to move.

"We are very afraid for our neighborhood if we are forced to leave," he said. "If we lose our land and building, make no mistake—Faith United Church of Christ will continue. We will continue our mission and ministry wherever we land, but we want to stay in the neighborhood and stay with our neighbors with whom we've built this area over the last 20 years."

The Thorntons chain is based in Clarksville, Indiana, and predominately has stores in Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee. The Bradenton store would have 20 pumps.

The gas station would just be the fifth or sixth Thorntons in Florida, said Eric Zoph, vice president of construction and environmental concerns for Thorntons. The first Florida Thorntons opened in late November in Clearwater and also opened a store in Largo in December. The third Thorntons opened in Tampa Wednesday evening, he said.

"We intend to build 10 stores in the trade area in next year and a half," Zoph said.

The Bradenton Planning Commission on Wednesday recommended approval of the Thorntons to the Bradenton City Council with a 5-0 vote; Chairman Jason Taylor abstained. The project is due for council consideration at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 27. 

"There are worse uses that could be there," Planning Chairman Jason Taylor said. Some residents wanted a Starbucks there, but the company isn't building new stores, the commission noted. 

If the project isn't approved and the church can't sell the land to Thorntons, the church might not have enough money to operate and could close and force to sell all of its 4.83 acres, Damianos said.

"It has power to attract strip mall or something less desirable than what is there today," he said. 

Planning Commission member Diane Barcus agreed. 

"They not understand there could be a peep show there on the corner?" Barcus said after most of the public left.

Road improvements through the Florida Department of Transportation are planned for that intersection, too.

Some of those improvements include:

• Reducing speed limit on SR 64 from 50mph to 45mph
• Additional through lanes on SR 64 in both directions
• Sidewalks on both sides of SR 64
• Westbound left-turn lane entering Braden River Lakes lengthened by 280 feet
• Second left-turn lane on eastbound SR 64 and southbound 48th 

Residents in the Braden River Lakes area requested that more time for left turn signals to be allotted due to the number of people making U-turns, slowing down turning times. 

Residents are also concerned about the aesthetics of the traditional Thorntons' bright red frame entrance that's found on many of their stores, in addition to the western wall, while others are entirely against the project, citing crime concerns.

Thorntons is required to provide enhanced landscaping, but it comes down to what the wall looks like. Staff recommended removal of the architectural feature on the west wall.

Thorntons proposed to offer two trees to help cover the side, but Barcus wasn't too sure about that.

"That's just two trees. How does that cover the whole side of a building?" Barcus said. "I rather see the red rather than two trees sticking there."

The red frame and treatment on the western wall costs about $30,000, and Thorntons could do a blank wall and put that money into additional landscaping, Zoph said. 

But Taylor wants to see something of interest on that wall.

"I rather not see a blank wall, and instead see something architecturally interesting," Taylor said. "To me, blank walls are rather ugly."