Planning commission approves Pickard/Main gas station over neighborhood objections

The Mount Pleasant Planning Commission on Wednesday approved a special use permit and site plan allowing Crist Oil Company to build a Food Mart and gas station at the corner of Pickard and Main (the applicant said the address will be 111 Palmer Street). The commission’s approval was subject to conditions including revised sidewalk and landscaping plans, a final photometric plan with installer certification, and a waste-management plan showing onsite recycling capacity.

The decision follows months of staff review and about 64 letters of opposition delivered to commissioners the day of the meeting. The project, presented by staff and the applicant’s engineering consultant, would replace a long-vacant building with a roughly 6,150-square-foot convenience store, eight fueling positions, and eight vehicle parking spaces (the plan also shows four bicycle spaces and four electric vehicle chargers to be installed in the future). Staff and the applicant said the development would add roughly 20 jobs and improve the streetscape at what staff described as a long-neglected gateway to downtown.

Why it matters: The site has been vacant for decades and is seen by staff as a redevelopment priority for downtown Mount Pleasant. Supporters argued the project will activate an unused corner, provide convenience for nearby residents, and invest in pedestrian improvements along Pickard Street. Opponents raised concerns about traffic, noise, light spill, public-safety impacts, historic neighborhood character, and the risk of soil contamination on a former industrial lot.

Staff presentation and conditions Manuela Pavlodico, the city planner who presented the project, told commissioners the applicant had worked with staff for several months to produce a site plan that complies with zoning requirements. Staff noted the building will be pulled closer to Palmer Street to meet frontage standards, that pumps are oriented toward Pickard to serve through traffic, and that a narrow, exit-only driveway on Palmer is included primarily for deliveries. Pavlodico flagged lighting as a key public concern and recommended as a condition that the installer certify foot-candle measurements at property lines prior to issuance of a certificate of occupancy and that a final photometric plan be submitted.

The planning report recommended approval of SUP-25-09 and SPR-25-05 subject to conditions that included: (1) a revised site plan with final sidewalk layout approved by the city engineering department; (2) a revised landscaping plan showing four front-lot trees along Palmer and two along Main; (3) a revised photometric plan with installer certification of lighting values; (4) a waste-management plan demonstrating provision for recyclables (either onsite dumpsters/roll carts or reserved indoor storage for recyclables until commercial collection); and (5) compliance with additional requirements from public safety, building safety, and public works.

Applicant statements and environmental testing Seth Majatek, an engineer for Wikwire PC representing the applicant, said the store hours would be 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. (he corrected an earlier slide that listed midnight) and that the store would not seek to operate 24 hours. He said lighting would be LED, directional and shielded where necessary and that the site plan includes landscaping and fencing to buffer nearby residences. Majatek also said a Phase I environmental assessment had identified contamination consistent with prior industrial uses and that a Phase II study and cleanup would occur if the project proceeds.

Casey Atanasoff, who said he would act as general contractor, described standard safeguards for modern fuel systems — double-walled tanks, secondary containment, monitoring and regular tightness testing — and said the project would include oil/water separators and controls to limit stormwater contamination.

Public comment and neighborhood concerns Dozens of residents and 64 written letters expressed opposition. Speakers said the corner is part of the historic Old North End and described it as a quiet, family-oriented street with children and older residents. Concerns raised at the meeting included increased vehicle and truck traffic on Palmer and nearby side streets, noise from customers and vehicles (including loud audio), light pollution, trash and litter, safety for pedestrians and schoolchildren, and potential impacts to groundwater and the Chippewa River from fuel spills. Several speakers said they would prefer a different reuse of the vacant site and questioned whether adequate community outreach was done beyond the statutory 300-foot notification.

Alicia Horman, who said she lives at 113 East Palmer Street, told the commission she and her family opposed a gas station at the corner and noted the proximity of her house to the proposed pavement. True Wyshinsky, a resident of 721 North Fancher, said the neighborhood has become an informal safe area for young families and argued a gas station would change the area’s character. Several other neighbors echoed those concerns and warned of increased litter and transient activity.

Supporters and commission discussion Not everyone opposed the plan. Trish Van Lewis, who said she lives at 110 West Michigan, spoke in favor, calling the site an eyesore and commending staff and the applicant for meeting city standards. Commissioners debated the tradeoffs between redevelopment of a longstanding vacant lot and neighborhood impacts, and several commissioners said the site design and the conditions of approval aim to mitigate the most significant impacts.

Vote and outcome The commission approved the special use permit and site plan subject to the conditions listed above. Roll-call votes recorded in the transcript were: Commissioner Deveni — yes; Commissioner Farley — yes; Commissioner Friedrich — yes; Commissioner Havels — yes; Commissioner Irwin — no; Commissioner Kingsworthy — yes; Commissioner Leach — absent; Commissioner Martinez — no; Commissioner Orkman — yes. Tally: 6 yes, 2 no, 1 absent. The motion carried.

What remains: The approval is conditioned on the applicant submitting the revised plans and the required certifications. Staff noted additional reviews by building safety, public safety and public works will be required before a certificate of occupancy can be issued.