Southaven board rejects Murphy Oil gas station at Stateline and Highway 51, citing traffic and public-safety concerns

SOUTHAVEN, Miss. — Southaven’s Board of Aldermen on Tuesday denied a conditional use permit for a proposed Murphy Oil convenience store with gas pumps at the southwest corner of Stateline Road and U.S. Highway 51, after city staff and police warned the project would worsen congestion and strain public-safety resources at an already busy intersection along the Tennessee border.

The applicant planned to demolish an aging multi-tenant building on the site and build a new convenience store, fuel canopy and kiosk with access from both Stateline Road and Highway 51. Planning commissioners recommended denial, and aldermen voted to deny the request following a public discussion.

Mayor Darren Musselwhite said the location—a short distance from the state line—would likely add to one of the city’s highest police-call corridors and undercut ongoing West End District revitalization work.

“Public safety trumps every decision in this city,” Musselwhite said, adding that a new, high-volume fuel station “is not the right place for it” given the city’s experience with Operation Close the Door, an increased law enforcement effort focused on crime along Stateline Road.

Why staff recommended denial

Planning Director Whitney Choat-Cook told aldermen that quick-service restaurants with drive-throughs and convenience stores with fuel pumps are among the highest traffic generators. A staff “window survey” over the past month found an average of four vehicles on the existing site during peak hours—far below what a fuel station would draw, she said.

Staff also noted:

The corner sits within Southaven’s West End revitalization district, which aims to diversify uses and encourage small, locally owned businesses; two fuel stations already operate in the immediate area, with five more along a two-mile stretch of Highway 51 inside city limits.

Southaven Police reported heavy service calls within a quarter-mile of comparable stations, indicating additional burden on officers and emergency services.

The city’s comprehensive plan seeks to reduce auto-oriented uses in the district in favor of neighborhood-serving amenities that improve the shopping environment.

What the applicant argued

An attorney representing Murphy Oil USA, said “need” is not a permissible factor in Mississippi zoning decisions and submitted a traffic study concluding the project would not degrade the intersection’s level of service or require new turn lanes.

A representative for the developer said the $4 million, privately financed redevelopment would replace a largely vacant, dated building; create jobs; add modern security and lighting; and help keep fuel-tax dollars spent by Southaven residents from flowing to Murphy Oil locations in Horn Lake and Olive Branch.

They also presented crime statistics indicating convenience stores account for a small share of serious offenses citywide and outlined a camera and security plan for the site.

Musselwhite countered that the city’s real-world call volume and proximity to the state line carried greater weight. He also said a single fuel station would not materially impact the city’s budget compared with larger industrial and commercial projects in the pipeline.

The vote and what’s next

After discussion, aldermen approved a motion to deny the conditional use permit on a roll-call vote. The decision blocks the fuel use at that corner; the applicant may pursue other uses permitted by zoning or explore other locations within Southaven.