Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


A controversial gas station project in downtown Pinckney has cleared another hurdle.

The Village Planning Commission held a special meeting on Tuesday night and granted a special land use permit to convert the existing vacant Rite Aid to a Mugg & Bopp’s gas station with a Dunkin Donuts drive-thru. Member Christine Oliver was the lone opposed vote, with Trisha Wagner absent.

Only two people spoke during the public hearing, despite many previous objections from community members and business owners. There are already three other gas stations within a half-mile of the property.

Attorney Roger Myers represents the owners of the BP Gas Station directly across from the property. He said his client believes the area is already over-saturated with gasoline service, and there are traffic concerns with the current volume now and additional overload from a gas station and fast-food, drive-thru. A letter of opposition is attached.

It was stated developers will need to obtain variances from the ZBA next, and any site plan approvals would be contingent on those variances. A traffic impact study is pending.

It was noted that now was the time for the Commission to attach reasonable conditions for the permit, as it would not have another opportunity to do so.

Planner Lucie Fortin suggested the Commission include the condition of having more of a setback along Dexter-Pinckney Road between what will be a trail/sidewalk and the pavement of the property. She commented that not having greenspace or a landscape strip would require a variance but it is “poor planning and will look bad”, and she doesn’t think it's safe either.

One member stated she felt it was important to have the setback considering the high school is right off Dexter-Pinckney Road and kids walk in the area.

At least a 10-foot setback is required from the right-of-way along the road.

Instead of specifying any number, which developers said could be problematic, the Commission kept it broad in that the minimum green space from the road could be determined with the ZBA.

Chair Bree Kraut commented that maybe this new gas station will encourage other locations to make theirs more appealing and attract people to theirs rather than the new one coming in. She added maybe there’s a reason those don’t have a lot of business or a reason they’re concerned about losing business – saying it could be a chance to make current locations more appealing and “up the competition”.

Developers stated they are adding space for driving surface and investing “serious dollars” to increase the space around the building; and did not think that any one item being discussed was a “deal breaker” and they were confident they could satisfy requirements.

Complete documents can be accessed on the Planning Commission webpage, link provided.

Photo: Google Street View