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Burton business owners say proposed Bristol and Belsie roundabout would harm longtime Nearing’s Market; council schedules special meeting
Summary
At a Burton City Council meeting, business owners and residents urged the council to reconsider or redesign a proposed roundabout at Bristol and Belsie Road, saying it would close primary store entrances and block parking; council members said engineers and MDOT guidelines constrain design and set a special meeting to continue the discussion.
Burton City Council devoted much of its meeting to public concern over a proposed roundabout at Bristol and Belsie Road, where business owners say the design will impede access and threaten a three-generation neighborhood market.
Katie Nearing, owner of Nearing’s Market, told the council the plan would close her two main entrances, leave two-thirds of her parking lot unusable during deliveries and create safety hazards for customers and delivery trucks. "Two thirds of my parking lot will be blocked during deliveries," Nearing said, adding that the store has served the community for 65 years.
Robert Long, a nearby resident, thanked the council for mosquito control work but asked whether other traffic-control options such as a signal have been considered and where the council’s research can be reviewed. A council member said the engineers’ selection process is documented in a longer report and that those materials can be shared with interested parties.
Council members and a city official said the project stems from a county safety study and must meet grant and MDOT design requirements. An unidentified city official told the council that engineers design the roundabout and that "those first two driveways that close to the intersection" create challenges; the official also said the city can pursue mitigation—such as widening a back driveway—if property owners participate in the redesign.
Council discussion focused on reconciling the engineers’ safety recommendations with nearby business access. One council member said Nearing was told she would be part of planning but that recent drawings show impacts to her store; the official said engineers have invited the owner back to meet again and that the city has proposed options to reduce impacts but must follow MDOT standards and grant conditions.
The council scheduled a special meeting for the coming Monday at 6 p.m. to continue the conversation and review designs and options. The clerk also reminded the public that the next regularly scheduled council meeting is July 7, 2025, at 7 p.m.
The council did not make a final decision on the roundabout at this meeting; members said further engagement with engineers and the property owner will determine whether design changes are feasible under safety standards and grant rules.
