 Construction, Permitting and System Design
William
K. Morris, P.E, is the president of Morris
and Associates, a consulting firm based in Houston.
Bill, as he commonly goes by, received a BS in Civil Engineering
at Texas A&M University in 1979. He is a member of the
National Society of Professional Engineers, American Society
of Civil Engineers and an affiliate member of the Petroleum
Equipment Institute. With 24 years of experience, Bill's expertise
focuses in the area of design and permitting of convenience
stores, petroleum storage and distribution systems, car washes,
quick lubes, hypermarket fuel facilities, alternative fuel
facilities, bulk plants and pipeline terminals along with
other Fortune 500 retail projects.
Web: www.morrisassoc.com
CLICK HERE TO ASK YOUR QUESTION
Recent Questions:
1)
I'm new to the industry. How do I go about building a c-store
with gasoline? What are the proper steps?
Assuming
you have the ideal location, make sure you have enough land
for the facility. Look at utility availability, zoning,
access, easements, floodplain and environmental issues,
etc. Perform a due diligence study before you close on the
land. Walk away from the land if it isn't right for your
project. Obtain adequate financing for your project. Develop
a realistic project schedule. Hire an Architectural or Engineering
consultant that has experience in designing and permitting
fuel facilities. Design a facility that fits your budget.
Verify the preliminary cost of the design with a contractor
or two. Obtain permits. Bid the project out to two or three
qualified, experienced petroleum contractors. Construct
the project.
2)
What's the best way to get the proper permits for building
a c-store with gasoline?
Hire
an Architectural or Engineering consultant that has specific
experience in designing and permitting fuel facilities.
Require your petroleum equipment installer to have verifiable
experience. Check the references and UST installer license
status of your petroleum contractor. Be sure to check with
city, county and state authorities for any unique requirements
for fuel at your site.
3)
If I already have a c-store up and running, but want to
add gasoline, what will I need to do in order to do it correctly?
Determine
if you have enough real estate remaining to install a petroleum
storage and distribution system and allow for adequate circulation
and queuing on your site. This usually means you will need
an as-built survey or site plan of your site showing existing
improvements, easements, utilities, access, property lines,
etc. Develop a preliminary site plan showing the fuel. Perform
a "mini" due diligence study to determine if the
addition of fuel on your site is allowed by codes and ordinances.
Should you master plan now for a future car wash or lube
bay building? Follow the remaining steps for a new project.
4)
If I am building a new site, how can I add 4 dispensers
now but have the ability to add another 4 dispensers in
the future?
Make
sure you have enough land to expand to begin with. "Master
Plan" your site in phases to allow for expansion. Install
the correct size of tanks for your ultimate dispensing capacity.
Position the tanks (assuming UST's) so that they are not
located beneath any future dispensers or canopies. Install
2-hp variable-speed STP's at a minimum. Size product and
vent piping adequately for eight dispensers. Either purchase
expandable pump controls, data system, POS and leak detection
system or install systems properly sized for 16 fueling
positions. Make sure you have enough electrical service
capacity/circuits for additional canopy lights, signage,
dispensers, controls, etc.
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