Gas Station Special Use Permit at 1681 East Raines Road

At a glance

Based on auto-generated captions; names and details may be misheard.

What: special use permit SUP 25-37 for a gas station with a small store at 1681 East Raines Road in Walker's district, sponsored by the Division of Planning and Development.
Where it stands: approved by the council on 10/8/2026 after about 17 minutes of questions: eight yes votes, Cooper-Sutton no, White abstaining.
Next: engineering review of traffic and stormwater; a condition against food trucks was offered.

Spinosa recalled that it was rejected on 9/15, then approved, then rejected, returned and presented at committee on Tuesday (10/6), where it received a favorable recommendation. The applicant asked to present to the full council.

The applicant's attorney said the plans were revised with the planning division: more glass on both frontages, a new building and landscaping, the drive-thru eliminated, and the adjacent parcel under the same ownership pulled into the site for clean-up.
The applicants described a roughly $3 million project, no beer or tobacco sales, food and grocery sales inside only, and no food trucks. A consultant said the owners would also upgrade the neighboring lot's frontage and were prepared to set money aside in a special account for upkeep that Walker could access.
Better site lighting would cover both properties; the applicant said the lack of alcohol sales removes much of the loitering that these sites attract.

Carlisle raised the spread of gas station parcels that become semi-permanent and asked about food trucks; Planning staff then offered a condition that food trucks not be permitted, and Walker agreed.
White asked about a traffic study and trip generation report (staff: engineering decides during approval) and the sealed stormwater and drainage plan (also engineering review). She noted another gas station roughly 150 feet away across the street and said she was a no. Cooper-Sutton asked about crime near the apartments up the street.
Walker said that since joining the council in 2004 she had mostly opposed similar stations, but this property had been blighted for a while and the applicant would upgrade the neighboring property.

Moved by Spinosa, seconded by Green. Yes: Canale, Carlisle, Green, Logan, Spinosa, Walker, Warren and the chair, Swearengen-Washington. No: Cooper-Sutton. Abstained: White. Other members' votes were not heard.

About 17 minutes across 1 meeting (from transcript timestamps; approximate).

Meeting	Minutes
2026-10-08 - Memphis City Council	17

2026-10-08 - Memphis City Council — Approved 8 yes, 1 no, 1 abstention after applicant presentation and questions on food trucks, traffic, stormwater and crime.