Council approves conditional rezoning and special-use for oil-change business near Empowerment Church on Southfield Road

The Southfield City Council on April 28 approved a conditional rezoning and a special land-use permit allowing a new oil-change business at 24412 Southfield Road.

Planner Crode presented the request to rezone the western 97 feet of the vacant parcel from OS (Office Service) to B‑3 (General Business) with a conditional list of excluded uses and site-specific conditions. The petitioner sought the rezoning to construct and operate a new oil‑change facility; the site had been vacant for decades.

Petitioner Ali Marley (recorded as the applicant) and project representative Zack Rowley described site changes: new sidewalks on three sides, additional landscape buffering and a screen wall along the eastern property line, ornamental fencing and brick piers along Southfield Road, a circulation plan for truck deliveries, and a right‑turn‑in/right‑turn‑out access configuration with a diverter. Transportation engineering numbers presented in the record estimated roughly 41 trips per day on weekdays (about 5.19 trips per hour) and similar daily volumes on Saturdays; peak-hour generation was summarized as about five trips.

During the public hearing, representatives of the nearby Empowerment Church and neighbors raised concerns about transparency, traffic, separation between the site and adjacent homes, and environmental risks. Reginald Barnes of Empowerment Church said the church had not been informed earlier that the petitioner owned the property and asked for more transparency; afterward Barnes and church leadership met with the petitioner and reported the meeting addressed their concerns. Pamela Gerald, a neighborhood commenter, said she had initial opposition but supported the applicant after the outreach.

Council members noted the petitioner met with neighbors and the church and thanked all parties for productive discussion. Councilmember Hogue moved to approve the conditional rezoning PCZR25‑0001 with the conditions presented by the planning commission; the motion was supported by Councilwoman Haines and carried. Council then held the required public hearing and voted to approve special land use PSLU24‑0014 with the conditions noted by the planning director, including implementation of police department recommendations and adherence to special‑use limits on noise, pollution and light. The council recorded the facility’s hours of operation as Monday–Saturday, 8 a.m.–8 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., as maximum windows.

Conditions noted in staff presentation and the approved resolutions include: decorative fencing and brick piers in lieu of additional landscaping; required variances from the zoning board of appeals for minor landscaping setbacks; implementation of the police department’s crime‑prevention recommendations; compliance with the city’s general special‑use standards (noise, pollution, light); and right‑turn‑only site access. The planning department’s packet includes a list of B‑3 uses expressly excluded under the conditional rezoning (a range of uses from adult businesses and gas stations to hotels and open‑air sales).