Planning commission backs conditional rezoning and site plan for oil‑change at 24412 Southfield Road

The Southfield Planning Commission voted to recommend a conditional rezoning of the western 97 feet of 24412 Southfield Road from OS (Office Service) to B‑3 (General Business) and approved a related site plan to allow construction and operation of an oil‑change business, planning staff said Monday.

The rezoning recommendation (PCZR25‑0001) and site plan review (PSP24‑0011) were approved with conditions that include a landscaped buffer and screening, a right‑in/right‑out driveway with an entrance island on Southfield Road, exclusion of a long list of uses, and further technical approvals before council and other agencies. The planning commission’s motion on the rezoning passed with four approvals; the site‑plan motion passed on a separate vote.

Why it matters: The conditional rezoning would allow the long‑vacant parcel — zoned OS and surrounded by a mixture of residential and commercial uses — to be redeveloped and placed back on the tax rolls while restricting uses that residents and the commission identified as incompatible.

Planning staff presented the application and said the property’s future land‑use designation (local mixed use) supports the proposed use. The applicant has proposed excluding several potentially intensive uses from the B‑3 district for this parcel, including gas stations, automobile and truck sales, motor‑vehicle washing, hotels and motels, medical and adult‑use marijuana facilities, kennels and pet day care, small‑box retail, funeral homes, drive‑in restaurants, assembly halls, soup kitchens and homeless shelters, and open‑air vehicle sales.

Petitioner Ali Issa (listed on the site plan) said the owner responded to prior concerns by coordinating with the Oakland County Road Commission to design a right‑in/right‑out curb cut and by adding landscaping and a curb island. He told the commission the parcel has been vacant for years and that the proposed building includes a cashier area, a small waiting room, storage and a single garage bay area. Asked about hours, Issa said the applicant had not decided yet whether to open Sundays.

Industry representative Zach Rowley, of Rowley’s Wholesale, described on‑site oil handling and recycling procedures, saying the business will receive API‑certified products, drain used oil into collection pans and tanks, and work with licensed recyclers. “Any oil coming into the facility is coming through as an API licensed product,” Rowley said. He described oil‑water separators and containment measures the industry uses and estimated waste oil trucks would visit “a couple times a month” or “probably every other week” depending on site volume.

Neighbor Reginald Barnes, who lives at 24350 Southfield Road immediately adjacent to the site, urged caution and raised traffic and environmental concerns related to heavier traffic now that nearby I‑696 is under construction. “Traffic is jammed,” Barnes said, and he warned that the site’s access could add to congestion at the local intersection. He also asked what would happen to the site if the business later closed.

Commissioners pressed the applicant on spill history, hours of operation and timetable for opening. The applicant said his business group operates five locations with no incidents at those facilities and estimated operations at the Southfield site would handle roughly 25–35 vehicles per day if approved. He said construction and opening would likely take six months to a year, depending on contractors and weather.

The planning commission’s recommendation was conditioned on execution and recordation of a conditional‑rezoning agreement approved by the city attorney, incorporation of additional screening (brick piers and ornamental fencing along Southfield Road), coordination with the Oakland County Road Commission on the curb cut, approval of required waivers by the Zoning Board of Appeals (setback and greenbelt waivers), implementation of Southfield Police Department security recommendations, and continued compliance with city ordinances and codes. The site plan approval is contingent on rezoning approval by city council.

The commission’s action advances the project to upcoming city council review and to required technical approvals; final authority to rezone and to issue permanent site permits rests with the city and, where applicable, outside agencies.

ACTIONS AT A GLANCE: PCZR25‑0001 (rezoning recommendation) — favorable recommendation approved by vote (4 approvals); PSP24‑0011 (site plan) — approved by the planning commission and conditioned on rezoning and waivers.