Livonia council approves rezoning and conditional waiver for proposed gas station on Newburg Road

The Livonia City Council voted unanimously on April 13 to rezone 13400 Newburg Road from M-1 (light manufacturing) to C-2 (general business) and to approve a Planning Commission-recommended waiver that allows construction of a gas station and convenience store at the southeast corner of Newburg and Schoolcraft Roads.

Councilmember Laura Toye read the second reading of the zoning amendment and the motion passed on roll call. Planning staff and the petitioner said the commission—s approval includes conditions intended to address safety and site appearance: no overnight outdoor storage, repairs to the parking area and a screened dumpster enclosure.

A representative for JNJ Land Holdings, LLC told council that the applicant will comply with the Planning Commission—s conditions. "We don't leave anything overnight," the representative said when answering council questions about display and storage practices, and added the owner is seeking bids to complete required repairs.

Planning staff noted the resolution contains time-limited and site-specific provisions and that enforcement would revert to ordinance compliance and routine inspections by ordinance-enforcement officers if deviations occur.

Outcome: Rezoning and the waiver were approved by a 7–0 roll-call vote. The approvals allow the project to move forward with the conditions specified by the Planning Commission; the council indicated staff will monitor compliance and return to the council if unresolved violations arise.

Next steps: The developer will return with building permits and final site plans; enforcement of the conditions will be managed by ordinance-enforcement staff if problems arise.