Story by Courtney Cho
Dave Clark, 59, still remembers when he first opened the Small B&B Café in historic downtown Pittsboro with his wife, Lisa Piper, back when they first moved to the area from Minneapolis.
Seven years later, sitting at a table inside the cozy space – a warmly-lit home decorated with folk art, kitschy wooden chairs and a chalkboard menu, since his wife is always “changing it up” – Clark leans back and shakes his head with a laid-back chuckle.
“Would I have bought this place if I knew this was going to happen?” he says, raising his eyebrows. “No. Absolutely not.”
What Clark is referring to is a proposal for an Eagles gas station and car wash that is scheduled to be presented to the town’s Board of Commissioners on Monday, Nov. 13. The new facility would be located on a plot of land directly next to Clark’s café and the adjacent bed-and-breakfast units he rents out.
“And this is not just my place of work,” he adds, pointing upstairs. “It’s my home. My wife and I live right upstairs.”
What upsets Clark the most is not that he doesn’t see a need for more fuel places – noting there are several options within a 5-mile radius of downtown, two of which are “not doing great” – but that the commercialized look of the proposal doesn’t fit the culture, the aesthetic, of the community.
“When I look at the pictures, I’m struck by how cookie-cutter generic it looks,” he says, pointing to the stark cream and red colors so common among corporate gas stations. “I could maybe get putting an entity like this at the edge of town. But right in the middle? It doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.”
Clark points to the road in front of his café, adding, “There’s a sign right outside of my property that says ‘historic downtown.’”
“Then you’d drive by this,” he says, motioning to the site plan. “I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s historic, huh?’”
Town Commissioner Bett Wilson Foley says the proposal first came to her attention when citizens began reaching out to her with concerns.
“I’ve been contacted by several people who are opposed to having another gas station, and a corporate chain store, in the heart of downtown,” she said. “They would prefer a small, local business that fits the character of Pittsboro.”
Pittsboro Mayor Cindy Perry says she understands why people might object to the station, but noted that it wouldn’t be taking the place of another business.
“I would also love to have something more attractive in this location,” Perry said. “[But] it has been an empty car dealer lot for many years, which is quite unattractive as well.”
She pointed out that town commissioners might have their hands tied when it comes to approving the proposal, regardless of personal or citizen opinion.
“I share these concerns,” Perry said. “But even with citizen input – which is important for drawing attention to environmental issues, for example –if the project fits the zoning parameters it will ultimately either be approved or the applicant will sue to get approval.”
Pittsboro Town Planner Jeff Jones said that while the current architectural elevations do not represent what he hopes will be the final product, the Board will likely have to approve the plan anyway.
“In this zoning district, C-2 Highway Commercial gas stations are a permitted use by right,” he wrote in an email Wednesday evening. “Meaning if the applicant meets all the standards of the Town then the Town is mandated to approve.”
Clark says he knows that he’s up against big odds, but he believes it’s worth fighting for. He’s garnered support among community members and loyal customers who plan to reach out to town staff and elected officials as soon as possible on behalf of preserving what he calls “the town’s charming appeal.”
His dream?
“Well, I really would love to convince them that it might be a good investment to do something else altogether, but reality is far away from that,” he smiles and shrugs. “My wife has been in business a long time, and she told me the other day, ‘Dave, you’re the small dog chasing the bus. Even if you catch it, you’re gonna get run over by the back wheels.’”
He stands up and starts clearing the table, looking out the window in front of him.
“I know that,” he says. “But if we don’t try, nothing will happen.”
Eagles could not be reached for comment.
