The regularly-scheduled Planning Commission meeting on June 3 had only one topic on its agenda, but it was a lively one.

Planners considered the site plan and special land use approval for the construction of a 6,139 sq. ft. Sheetz gas station on the 2.1 acre parcel at the southeast corner of 23 Mile Road and North Avenue. The petitioner for the project is listed as MC Development Holdings, LLC.

The Planning Commission conditionally and unanimously approved both the site plan and special land use, but not without a lengthy public portion of the meeting that saw approximately a dozen residents express concerns with the project.

The matter will now go before the Macomb Township Board of Trustees for ratification.

Prior to the vote, Josh Bocks, planning director, explained exactly what was up for consideration; the site plan and special land use, which are two separate items requiring individual votes “but go hand-in-hand,” he said.

Bocks said the special land use would allow for developers to remove an existing retail building and replace it with a gas station/convenience store with a drive-through. The special land use is requested for the drive-through as well as outdoor sales areas. The placement of the drive-through would be roughly in-line with the location of the drive-through attached to the previous retail building, the now-vacant CVS.

Planning department staff concluded the proposed special land use would not create a “higher than normal hazard nor nuisance related to fumes, vibrations, smoke or lights and “is pretty standard with this type of development.”

As for the site plan, Bocks said the proposal meets “all the acceptable setbacks and minimum requirements.” Those related to pathways and driveway access points already exist as needed on the property and would be utilized by the proposed construction. The development would feature 12 pump spaces (six pumps) and 40 parking spaces.

Following Bocks’s overview, Sheetz permits manager David Bruckelmeyer spoke on the project, describing it as a “$9 million investment” into the location that will provide 30-35 local full-time jobs.

Planning Commissioner Richard Bentley expressed to Bruckelmeyer concerns with the drive-through, specifically regarding cars idling in the queue after dark, asking to construct a screen to shield surrounding properties from headlights. Bruckelmeyer said the drive-through is typically “low-volume” with eight cars per hour at its peak time during the day, but would consider the suggestion.

It was the special land use motion that required the Planning Commission to open the floor to the public for comment, and many, who were allotted four minutes to speak, used the opportunity to express concerns regarding the project as a whole.

Resident Bill Thompson said his primary concern was the property’s proximity to residential areas, which he expected would drive “high-intensity use” to the area, especially related to the 24-hour drive-through. Another resident said he travels through the intersection in question “every day, back and forth, day and night,” and the location of the proposed Sheetz will only further congest an already busy area.

“There’s already two gas stations there,” he said. “What is the purpose of us having the Sheetz gas station there?”

Other speakers expressing their opinion during public time were business owners in the community, with one deriding “corporate greed” eroding small businesses. Another business owner, who owns one of the two existing gas stations in the intersection in question, said the increase in lighting in the area would be disruptive to the residences nearby.

Eddie Jawad, whose Jawad Group Investments operates approximately 20 gas stations in southeast Michigan, asked if Macomb Township seeks to be “the capital of gas stations,” citing the presence of other stations in the immediate area of the proposed site. Jawad described the current Sheetz expansion into Michigan as an “invasion.”

Former Macomb Township Supervisor Mark Grabow echoed those sentiments.

“This is a quiet area, how many more facilities do you need within Macomb Township?” he said. “We’ve got so many gas stations going in, it’s ludicrous.”

Vice-chair Aaron Tuckfield later said he has heard similarly expressed concerns about the number of gas stations in the township. He provided data on “licensed motor fuel outlets” in Macomb Township and compared that figure to both neighboring municipalities in the county and elsewhere, as well as data on population and area.

Tuckfield said there are currently 16 active licenses in the township, which has a population of 91,663. That equates to 5,725 residents per licensed station, or .41 gas stations per square mile. That’s compared to nearby Clinton Township, with a population of 100,513 and 37 gas stations, Canton Township (population 98,659, 19 gas stations) and Shelby Township (population 79,408, 22 stations).

The meeting wasn’t without emotion as Jawad was removed from the room by Macomb County Sheriff’s Office deputies after repeatedly speaking despite the closure of public time and approaching the Planning Commission table.

Sheetz has raised eyebrows with proposals in other local communities. Multiple locations in Warren have raised ire there, work has begun then been put on hold on a Fraser store that has resulted in the demolition of a long-vacant bank with unique architecture and in Roseville, a proposal to knock down a church that has been vacant since 2017 has led to legal action and demonstrations.