Warren City Planning Commission approved a site plan on June 16 for an existing vehicle repair and service facility with outdoor storage at 6211 Mile Road, subject to planning staff conditions aimed at screening and public access to a public alley.

The petitioner’s architect, James Cummins, said the project site is 0.79 acres with an existing 7,615-square-foot building; the application proposed 25 parking spaces and roughly 3,600 square feet of outdoor storage for vehicles being worked on. Planning staff reviewed the site and recommended approval with standard and site-specific conditions.

Planning staff’s conditions require revised site plans showing the public alley notation and the removal of the words “to be vacated” unless a formal alley vacation is approved; a screening plan for outdoor storage facing Dwyer Avenue; concrete bumper curbs with a 5-foot setback where vehicles being repaired will be parked; shielded lighting limited to 20 feet in fixture height; replacement of broken bumper curbs and asphalt per city standards; removal of barbed wire atop chain link fencing; a sidewalk along Dwyer Avenue; and a performance bond of $510 tied to an estimated $17,000 site-improvement cost (as noted in the staff report). Staff also required submittal of an affidavit of ownership that matches city assessing records and clarified that gates across the public alley cannot remain unless the city council approves a formal alley vacation.

Residents who live near the site urged stricter screening and called for a masonry wall rather than chain-link fencing. Stacy Mash, a nearby resident, reviewed photos she said documented a long history of noncompliance and asked that conditions be strictly enforced and monitored. Cassandra Verstraig asked how the city would ensure compliance given prior enforcement challenges.

The petitioner and his representative said the property had been cleaned and that they were complying with court-ordered site-plan submission. The petitioner stated the site is intended for vehicles undergoing repair, not for permanent junk storage, and said he expects typical repair durations to be on the order of weeks to a couple of months depending on parts and labor.

Commissioner Chaudhry moved to approve the site plan; after an amendment adding a requirement for a fenced screen with slats along the north side of the alley from Dwyer to the building and removal of alley gates at either end unless vacationed, the commission voted to approve the application with the listed conditions. Roll call recorded unanimous approval among commissioners present.

The approval requires the petitioner to follow up with revised plans and to coordinate any alley vacation application with the city council if the petitioner or city determines gating the alley is required. Planning staff said the zoning department will continue to monitor the site for compliance.