Mobil station, Camping World get approvals to move forward

The Mobil gas station and the Camping World site in Van Buren Township are finally able to move forward with their long-delayed developments.
But in order to move forward, the Mobil gas station at the northwest corner of Haggerty Road and the North I-94 Service Drive will have to take down its pylon sign that has been up there for 30 years.
That was the requirement by the Van Buren Township Planning Commission at its April 12 regular meeting in order to grant preliminary site plan approval for the redevelopment of the current station.
They plan a new, 3,600-square-foot convenience story with a drive-through window and five gas pumps.
The project was approved in 2020 and 2021, but has changed slightly, so the reapproval was necessary.
Planning consultant Vidya Krishnan of McKenna Associates said while the sign is called a billboard on the plans, it is a pylon sign that is not in compliance with the ordinance and needs to be removed.
The applicant, Jim Safiedine, said he has owned the 1.06-acre parcel for 20 years and it will be a 24-hour site. He said they would like to keep the sign there for the visibility. He said the sign has been there for 30 years and he can’t see what benefit to the community its removal would be.
Krishnan said it is non-conforming and must be eliminated. She said it is an illegal, non-conforming sign, however the planning commission could allow it.
The applicant asked if they didn’t redesign and rebuild the building as planned, then they wouldn’t have to remove the sign and Krishnan said that was so.
Commissioner Jeff Jahr said the past approvals were conditional on removing the sign and now if it changes, they can’t have the special use already approved and would have to start over. He said when it was approved, the applicant said it would come down.
Safiedine said he never had agreed to remove the sign but wasn’t able to be at that past meeting and his representative said things he shouldn’t and, “That’s why he’s not here.”
Commission chairman Brian Cullin said if this was reopened they would have to follow the new gas station requirements.
“New gas stations don’t have pylon signs because the communities don’t want them,” Krishnan said. She said the Michigan Department of Transportation Wayfinding signs are more effective.
“Our goal is to get this thing started tomorrow,” said Safiedine, noting the county has standards and the underground water retention is costly, and Van Buren Township has standards. He said they will have to pay the cost to remove the sign and then not have the sign.
He said there have been many delays.
Chairman Cullin said Safiedine would have to begin over and Krishnan said that is a decision he would have to make.
Safiedine said he had a contractor ready to break ground on April 1 and, “I don’t have much of a choice.” He asked if he could ask for a variance and was told that wouldn’t work.
Jahr made the motion to grant the amended preliminary site plan request for the redevelopment and drive-thru, with removal of the pylon sign, which was seconded by Commissioner Bernie Grant and approved unanimously by the commission.
Camping World
The planning commission unanimously granted an amended preliminary and final site plan for Camping World to demolish the east wing of their existing building at 43646 North I-94 Service Dr. and create new R.V. parking and storage on the site.
No one was present from the applicant and Dan Power, director of planning and economic development, said he told them they didn’t have to come because it was a minor change and had already been approved.
Director Power said Camping World was granted site plan approval in December 2020 and then changed the plans to include an addition in August and September 2022, now they are going back to the original plan.
Krishnan said the township did not delay the Camping World project and the township has been trying to get in touch with Camping World. She said it took them a year to decide to go back to the original plan. She said the proposed painting booth was a problem for the township.
Residential Zoning Text
The commission also directed Krishnan to come up with a residential zoning text amendment for it to consider. The issue came up when a couple wanted to build a 2.5 story home approximately 29.6 feet tall on the lake on Ormond Drive and found it did not meet the ordinance.
The couple applied for a variance through the Board of Zoning Appeals on April 11 and were granted a variance. The BZA asked the planning commission to consider changing height restrictions and raising the overall height from 2.0 stories to 2.5 stories, and from 30 feet to 35 feet.
Krishnan said houses having attics with living spaces are non-conforming.
She said they will draft an ordinance to bring back for their consideration. She said it should be for single family dwellings in all zonings.
Commissioner Jahr said he read the McKenna directive and conclusions on the issue in the planning commission packet for the April 12 meeting into the BZA record at the April 11 meeting.
“I’d like to see a draft ordinance,” Jahr said.