Kettering Planning Commission approves conditional use for Tri State rim and wheel storage at 3964 South Dixie Highway

The Kettering Planning Commission on May 5 approved a conditional use permit allowing Tri State Rim and Wheel to lease space at 3964 South Dixie Highway for warehousing and limited distribution.

City Planner Ryan Holmesy told the commission the request is for storage only — no on-site tire repair — and that warehousing and distribution are allowable conditional uses in the property's B (business) zoning. "This is a fairly straightforward request," Holmesy said, noting staff had modified one recommended landscaping requirement after learning there is underground environmental monitoring equipment at the east side of the building.

The commission's action followed a staff recommendation that included conditions intended to limit neighborhood impacts. The approved conditions require shipping and receiving be limited to 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday; that no warehousing or distribution occur within 25 feet of the eastern lot line; and that the applicant submit a site improvement plan incorporating staff comments on attachments D and E, with improvements completed by the end of 2025.

Applicant Robert Gaybringer, who identified himself as the managing partner of the property owner, Tetra Properties LLC, said he has invested in site improvements over the last five years and wants the use to fit in with the neighborhood. "We've spent 5 years improving it ... I want to feel good about it," Gaybringer said.

Holmesy said the applicant expects one to two vehicle trips per day for deliveries, mainly vans and occasional box trucks, and that the use would be conducted entirely indoors. Staff noted the building is closer than 25 feet to adjoining residential property on the east but that the proposed leased area can meet the 25-foot separation requirement if warehousing activity is kept west of the marked buffer.

Staff also recommended repair of an existing privacy fence on the east side to meet the zoning code's six-foot finished masonry or privacy fence standard, replacement of missing fence pickets, reestablishment of ground cover where needed, removal of brush, and either reuse or removal of an existing flagpole. A staff site photo package accompanying the report documented the noted maintenance items.

There were no public comments during the hearing. Planning Commissioner Don Rathman moved approval; the motion passed on a roll call vote with all members present voting yes. The planning staff will review the submitted site improvement plan and verify conditions are met before issuing any zoning certificate or final occupancy approval.

The commission's approval uses the Planning Commission's conditional-use authority under the Kettering Zoning Code. The staff report and the motion incorporate findings that, if the conditions are met, the proposed use will conform to neighborhood character, will be conducted indoors, and is not expected to generate traffic or nuisance impacts beyond those allowed in the business district.

Commissioners and staff noted one modification to staff attachment D: the recommendation to plant trees in the east buffer was removed because of the presence of underground environmental monitoring equipment a few feet below the surface.