Oakland County
Proposed rezoning of possible Sheetz site delayed in Waterford Twp.
Plans are placed on maintain of two property of Waterford Township in Rezone to place them for a potential 24-hour fuel station and a drive-through restaurant.
The members of the Township’s Planning Fee couldn’t agree on which re-use the advice to ship to the Township Board after two 3-3 votes failed. A seventh planning commissioner, Scott Sinkowski, was absent.
The board agreed to reschedule the choice till 28 October, along with the consideration of a particular approval for a fuel station with a drive-through web site plan.
It’s no secret that Sheetz desires to open a Waterford location in Pennsylvania, a nationwide fuel station/drive-through chain. The corporate has no possession within the municipality, however sheetz officers met a standard officers earlier this yr.
Ammar W. Alkhafaji, MD, son and enterprise associate of actual property proprietor Shakir Alkhafaji CEO of Southfield-featured Veritas Restricted, spoke with lawyer John Gaber of Birmingham-based Williams, Williams, Rattner & Sprekett.
Dr. Alkhafaji requested the board to 6600 and 6200 Highland Highway from O-2, Normal Workplace, to C-4, in depth issues in Rezone.
An empty workplace constructing is on each package deal. He mentioned it’s not possible to fill the 2 empty buildings as a result of there is no such thing as a marketplace for workplace area.
The properties are in entrance of Oakland County’s worldwide airport, between Williams Lake and airport roads.
The board has not mentioned a particular approval for a web site plan that exhibits a fuel station with a drive-through restaurant, as a result of it couldn’t be thought of with no re-use.
A number of residents who objected to the re -use additionally shared their opposition towards the proposed web site plan whereas speaking in regards to the re -use – complicated many within the Chamber, as a result of re -use and particular approval had been two separate agenda -items.
Tony Attisha, proprietor of the Mobil station at 5010 Highland Highway, mentioned that the municipality already has a dozen fuel stations and now not wants. He requested the board to provide extra weight to “Mom and Pop” stations akin to his as a substitute of nationwide chains.
Elizabeth McGregor mentioned the site visitors is already overloaded in Highland Highway and that there have been lethal accidents on that piece of street.
“The very first thing now we have to consider is the protection of our residents,” she mentioned.
One other resident referred to as the plan ‘a pig in a poke’.
Sheetz officers didn’t remark straight on the Highland Highway web site, however informed that the Oakland Press Waterford is likely one of the communities that they see for an outlet.
Earlier this yr, sheetz officers spoke with Township officers about discovering a spot for one of many 50 or extra factors of sale that they intend to open in Michigan for the following 5 years.
Township Supervisor Anthony Bartolotta mentioned that he met Sheetz officers in June after plans for a location in Drayton Plains subsequent to the Clinton River had been rejected on environmental issues.
Bartolotta mentioned that chairman of Oakland County Fee Dave Woodward, who works as a sheetz lawyer via his personal firm, was through the assembly. Bartolotta mentioned he felt uncomfortable with the involvement of Woodward, however felt that he couldn’t reject the assembly.
Woodward mentioned the Oakland Press earlier this yr that there is no such thing as a conflicts of curiosity between his job within the province and a non-public advisory enterprise as a result of Sheetz has no enterprise for the province. He’s a member of the airport board, which has not been met since February.
Commissioner Bob Hoffman mentioned he sees a battle as a result of Woodward represents the residents of Royal Oak, the place metropolis officers lately accepted a Sheetz location in regards to the objections of some residents.
Bartolotta mentioned he was very disenchanted within the delay of the planning committee.
“I feel they thought they got here in Sheetz, in order that three of them voted towards it,” he mentioned. “I’ve no opinion a few sheetz that goes there, however they need to have targeting the re -use.”
Dr. Alkhafaji and Gaber mentioned that the change in vacation spot was according to different firms within the space and was in accordance with the Grasp Plan of the municipality. ALKHAFAJI mentioned that the driving will give his firm extra growth choices, with or with no particular person indication for a fuel station/drive via it.
The location plan for a possible fuel station/drive exhibits a site visitors circulate that requires a driveway that might result in and from the Patterson Parkway, the street between Highland Highway and an important airport constructing.
That driveway can’t be constructed with out the easement of the airport, which has not been granted.
Deputy district chief Sean Carlson and Oakland County Aviation Supervisor Cheryl Bush met the homeowners of actual property for seven months to discover a approach to make use of the nation with out infringing the airport or Highland Highway site visitors. In direction of the top of July, Carlson and Bush didn’t discover a possible choice, in keeping with provincial officers.
Bush mentioned simply as a lot in a letter to Shakir Alkhafaji final week, and famous that security and safety issues have precedence over financial targets.
OCIA -Letter to Veritas
“For that reason we don’t help the transport of servitude for entry to Patterson Parkway and we don’t help this mission,” she wrote.
At 2 pm Tuesday, the spokesperson for the province of William Mullan despatched an pressing e -mail from the district administration to the municipality.
“We help Waterford’s efforts to encourage and proceed to make use of the event of empty possession to work collectively to make sure financial development in accordance with the airport’s security and security wants,” Mullan wrote.
The movement to advocate recommending re-use has failed in a 3-3 votes. Commissioners Artwork Fresca, David Kramer and Steve Prinz voted towards re -use; Commissioners Grant Smith, Gary Wall and chairman of the board Matt Ray voted for the re -use of the property.
A movement to withstand the re -use of the location failed with the identical cut up between board members. Smith, Wall and Ray voted towards it.
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