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Residents recall full‑service gas stations and back new commercial activity at meeting
Summary
During public comment, several residents recalled a history of full‑service gas stations in the area and urged support for new businesses, saying vacancies invite blight; one resident said friends criticized them for supporting gas stations.
Public comment at the Planning Commission meeting included multiple residents who defended proposed commercial development and recalled that full‑service gas stations and related businesses once occupied many corners in the area.
One commenter recounted specific past businesses along Lapeer Road and nearby streets, noting that sites that today are vacant once hosted Sinclair and Shell stations and small retail that provided services such as wiping windows and full service. "We had gas stations within a half mile of each other or maybe 3 quarters," the commenter said, arguing the proposal was not "crazy" relative to historical uses.
Speakers said vacant properties can lead to higher crime and lower property values, and some argued that new businesses could help stabilize tax revenues and reuse shuttered buildings. A commenter also said they had been criticized by friends for supporting gas stations but stressed local history and the economic rationale for filling vacant storefronts.
The public comment period also included a note from a participant offering to circulate a letter from the Charter Township of Genesee about that township’s new master plan; the speaker offered to email the document to commissioners.
The meeting adjourned after public comment had concluded.
