The Muskingum County Commissioners met Monday to discuss a potential new business coming to downtown Zanesville.
The commissioners were approached by the Sheetz corporation regarding plans to build a service station off of Interstate 70 near the 7th Street exit.
“They have a lot of hoops to jump through before. There’s zoning. They have to purchase the property. I don’t know why they came to us first. I think we should’ve been the last one they contacted,” said Jim Porter, Muskingum County Commissioner.
Sheetz would like Muskingum County to relocate two parking lots from their current location off 7th Street and Elberon Avenue to the Underwood Street side of Elberon Avenue. This relocation would impact some county employees, as well as, employees of the Muskingum Valley Educational Service Center.
“My concern, and the commissioners concern, and the health department and the ESC for that matter, is the safety of their employees crossing 7th Street. We’re obviously inviting a lot more traffic there. Safety concerns with their employees walking almost two to three blocks further to get to work,” said Porter.
After speaking with the health department and MVESC representatives, the commissioners have decided they will not support moving the parking lots at this time due to safety concerns.
