Council approves site plan for gas‑station addition at Ford and Newburgh, contingent on variances

The Westland City Council approved a site plan for a gas‑station convenience‑store addition at 37368 Ford Road (planning file 1892b) after hearing a presentation from planning staff and questions from council members.

Planning staff described the proposal as a 1,100‑square‑foot addition to the existing 1,300‑square‑foot fueling station to accommodate refrigerated display and convenience goods. The project will reconfigure parking and ADA spaces so that the site provides 14 off‑street spaces in total; the zoning ordinance allows fueling island parking to be counted toward that total. The proposal requires variances because the rear setback would be about 10 feet 8 inches where 30 feet is required and the east side setback is nearly zero. Planning recommended approval contingent on those variances being granted at the upcoming zoning appeals meeting.

The property owner, identified only as Joe, told council the project would match the existing brick and block facade, include restriping and landscaping, and is intended to improve the station’s viability. Councilmembers asked about notice to adjacent property owners, landscaping, and whether the narrow eastern parcel had been contacted; planning staff confirmed property owners within 300 feet had been mailed postcards and the east‑adjacent parcels are multiple small subparcels under common ownership. Several councilmembers expressed support contingent upon the zoning board granting the needed variances.

Outcome: Motion carried with no dissent; approval is subject to the zoning variances being granted.