Fairborn city council votes against Wawa gas station proposal

FAIRBORN — The City of Fairborn did not pass a proposal to build a Wawa convenience store and gas station.

The property the city was looking to rezone was 2.2 acres located at 600 East Dayton Yellow Springs Road.

City council members heard over an hour of testimony from residents.

Dr. Alice Sowders owns Fairborn Animal Hospital next door to the proposed Wawa property.

She spoke in favor of the new development.

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“Honestly at first I really wasn’t sure until I researched it some more. I think this is an excellent opportunity for Fairborn,” Sowders said. “We’ve had more problems with the empty building than we will with a building in there.”

A large majority of residents at the meeting spoke in opposition to the ordinance.

“There’s a reason this community has said no again and again and again ... all we’re asking you to do is to do everything we have done before in the city and say ‘this is not the right place,’ Mike Spehar, a Fairborn resident said.

Ultimately the ordinance did not pass a vote by council members.

WaWa has said it plans to open 60 stores in Ohio in the next 10 years.

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