We, the undersigned, oppose the installation of underground fuel tanks (UFT’s) related to the construction of a Wawa convenience store on the southwest corner of Orange Blvd and SR 46.
 
The site is grandfathered in to allow for a neighborhood convenience store, but Wawa would like to add 8 gas pumps (16 fueling spots) on a corner that already has two gas stations. Wawa does build stores that do not have gas pumps.
Our objections are as follows: 1) UFT’s – the property has a history of ground contamination with monitoring continuing, 2) – Traffic – there are no plans to widen Orange Blvd south of SR 46 and it is already a tightly congested intersection with lots of north-south commercial traffic and especially school traffic which affects MANY area residents and 3) Violates the Wekiva protection boundary.
 
This property is within the Wekiva Protection Area and any leak in such UFT’s, combined with the flooding issues currently present in this part of Seminole County, would potentially pollute both the groundwater and send these pollutants into the Wekiva Basin. The Wekiva Protection Area was created by the Wekiva River Protection Act.
 
Florida already has 17,000 UFT’s that are currently leaking and designated for cleanup. With the flooding being experienced in Seminole County, any leak in this area could potentially spill into the Wekiva basin and pollute the river and surrounding areas, costing the county significantly for cleanup.
If Wawa proves successful in getting UFT’s at this site, within the Wekiva Protection Area, then it would establish a precedent that others would quickly follow. At present, there are zero gas stations on the west side of Orange Blvd all the way to the Lake County line. Logic dictates that once gas pumps are allowed on this side of Orange, that another gas station will attempt to put one on the opposite side where Moreno’s nursery is - as it would be the last gas station heading West onto the 429 or into Lake County.
 
To be clear, this is opposition to the addition of underground fuel tanks and not in opposition to Wawa building a convenience store. Any construction in that area should be constrained by the current guidelines that have helped to control development and protect our valuable natural resources in and around the Wekiva Basin and the St Johns River basin.