The Planning and Zoning Commission has given its endorsement for a special use permit to allow Arizona Propane to install a 6,000-gallon tank at its Fountain Hills office on Shea Boulevard.

The proposal calls for the installation of a 12-foot spherical tank set behind an eight-foot block wall. Arizona Propane will use the facility for retail sales. The plan calls for a landscaping upgrade on the site to soften the tank’s appearance.

The company is located at 17251 E. Shea Boulevard, the last lot on the south side of Shea before reaching the town boundary.

The plan calls for the use of a former drive-through coffee kiosk to be used for a pay center for the propane sales. An attendant will man the center and fill the propane containers.

The site will be accessible to RVs and vehicles converted for the use of LPG as well as barbecue tanks.

Justin Dawson, vice-president for Arizona Propane, told the commission the wall and the tank will be painted neutral colors similar to the adjacent office buildings to allow the tank to blend in.

Dawson said the site will operate Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and they anticipate a sales volume of about 20 customers per day. He said that projection is based on historical data from similar operations.

Town Senior Planner Bob Rodgers said he responded to some questions regarding the request, but had received no formal objections to the permit.

No one in the public spoke at the public hearing prior to the commission discussion and 4-0 vote to recommend the Town Council approve the request.

If the council approves, the company will have six months to obtain a building permit for the project or the special use permit will expire.