Planning Board OKs Quick Lube

The Planning Board approved an application last week by Mike Flood to put in a five-bay quick-oil-change station at South County Trail and Frenchtown Road. 

The ruling means the property – once a gas station, more recently empty or seasonally rented – would once again serve automobilies. 

"I think when everything’s said and done, it’s going to be a great-looking facility," said Flood, who also owns the Flood Ford car dealership across the street. The dealership is one of the reasons he wanted to build the quick lube, he told Planning Board members Wednesday night, noting it can take up to 45 minutes to get an oil change at the Flood Ford dealership.

"We’re going to get our customers using the quick service. So the person comes in, and in 20, 25 minutes he’s out the door with a car wash," said Flood. But the quick lube would be for anyone, he stressed.

"We’re going to want customers coming in from East Greenwich. With quick-lane service, you start at a mile away, you go to two miles away, you go to three miles. No one’s going to drive seven or eight miles for an oil change," Flood said. "You’re going to get people from East Greenwich and maybe from North Kingstown to come over and use your services."

Although Planning Board members were kindly disposed to the proposal this go-around, initial visits before the board did not go so well. The project was bigger for one thing – seven bays – and Planning Department staff as well as board members thought it was too big for the size of the lot. 

And the original plan also called for cars to be able to drive in and out of an entrance on South County Trail. The approved plan has traffic able to turn left into the quick lube from South County Trail and right out onto South County Trail.

Traffic is able to travel in and out from both directions on the Frenchtown Road side, something that caused some misgivings from Planning Board members. In the end, however, they were convinced the number of cars going in or out of that entrance would not rise to the level of nuisance. 

Richard Lewis, an abutter, also expressed some reservations about the traffic on Frenchtown Road. But he was otherwise enthusiastic. 

"Mr. Flood has been a very good neighbor," Lewis said. "I wish him well."

For EG resident Robert Vespia, the plans prompted a bit of nostalgia. His father operated the service station on the site many years ago. 

"I think this is a good asset to the town," said Vespia. "It would definitely be an improvement."

Flood said he plans to start construction by the end of the month. The station should be complete by the end of the year.