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Council deadlocks on Saginaw SUP for proposed tire shop on Saginaw Boulevard
Summary
The Saginaw City Council voted 3–3 on a special-use permit for a proposed auto service/tire shop at West Lemon Street and North Saginaw Boulevard, causing the motion to fail. Staff had proposed eight stipulations addressing storage, fencing, signage and on-site work; neighbors cited parking and safety concerns.
The Saginaw City Council failed to approve a Specific Use Permit (SUP) for an auto service station at 105 West Lemon Street and 213–215 North Saginaw Boulevard after a 3–3 tie on the motion, leaving the application without the council’s approval.
Staff presented a revised SUP that added eight stipulations intended to address concerns raised at a prior hearing, including a prohibition on outdoor storage visible from public rights of way; placement and color requirements for dumpsters and similar containers; opaque fencing to screen the site; limits on exterior signage and lighting consistent with attached exhibits; and a prohibition on fluid-related services unless otherwise specified in later civil plans. Planning staff told the council the applicant had been receptive to edits and that the exhibits shown were illustrative and would be finalized in the civil plan process.
Applicant Chris Wagner of Ham’s Tire described changes to the site plan and building elevations that he said would improve aesthetics and operations. Wagner told council members he would remove earlier-listed heavy mechanical services from the permit and had reworked traffic flow and parking to reduce queuing. "This way...it's just cut and dry for a tire shop," Wagner said, summarizing the revised layout and operational plan.
A nearby property owner, Dan Differs, told the council he supported many of the applicant’s changes but urged stronger limits on on-street commercial parking because Lemon Street is narrow and, he said, could be made unsafe if commercial vehicles or tire racks encroached on the travel lane. "We do need to limit that parking if y'all decide to do this SUP," Differs said, asking the council to consider neighborhood impacts.
Council members debated whether the SUP could be used to restrict on-street parking. Planning staff and the city attorney clarified that an SUP controls uses and conditions on the applicant’s property but does not, by itself, change on-street parking regulations; changes to street parking would require a separate ordinance or enforcement under the city’s off-street parking code. After final language edits were made to the SUP text on the record, Council Member Valerie moved to approve the SUP with the added revisions and a second was recorded. With only six council members present, the vote split 3–3 and the mayor declared the motion failed under the city’s rules.
Staff recommended bringing the item back to a later meeting so absent council members may participate in the decision. The council did not adopt the SUP at this meeting.
