by SC Reporter Emilie Alfino
On August 25, 2026, the Sanibel Planning Commission unanimously approved a permit for a convenience store, a Kangaroo Express, at the old Chevron gas station, 1015 Periwinkle Way, at the corner of Bailey Road.
The Commission also waived some requirements for a landscape buffer, and waived driveway access requirements. Redevelopment of the gas station is allowed without obtaining a permit as part of hurricane recovery.
The convenience store is not considered formula retail but is excluded from the code as part of hurricane recovery. Even if it were, it would still fit within the 60,000-square-feet allowance for formula retail on the island.
“I’m very glad to see this thing being developed,” said Planning Commission Chair Paul Nichols.
The conditional use permit authorizes renovation and remodeling of the existing 1,627-square-foot building, including a 340-square-foot addition. The remodeling will maintain the character of 1950s architecture. The gas station, originally Sanibel Standard, has operated as an automotive service and fueling location on Sanibel for at least 46 years, appearing in local records and island newspapers since at least 1980.
City Attorney John Agnew said he wasn’t aware of any gas stations without a retail store. Planning Director Paula McMichael said this just re-establishes what the site has always been.
The State of Florida monitors the underground tanks, and Sanibel does not have authorization to override the State. The property owner said the tanks are electronically monitored and heavily regulated. The equipment will be upgraded and state-of-the-art.
The Commission approved the property owner’s request for two 24-foot-wide driveways along Bailey Road (Beach Road). The Planning Commission is authorized to approve an increase in the number of driveways when safety and traffic circulation are enhanced.
The narrow width of the property limits the width and turning radii within the parking area. The two proposed access driveways along Bailey Road/Beach Road are designed to provide safe travel routes for fuel tankers and waste management trucks serving the gas station and convenience store.
The property included a dwelling unit that was demolished due to damage from Hurricane Ian. Now, one dwelling unit may be added to the property through obtaining a building permit.
The property’s lights can be on at all times but must face downward, so as not to interfere with neighborhoods. There are no other restrictions. There will be access to the store only in the front, with parking in the rear, but there will be sidewalks all around.
“Yahoo! Is all I can say,” said Commissioner Ken Colter. “The place has looked like hell for four years.”