Fraser City Council members say they believe they’ve cleared the path for the controversial Sheetz fuel center development to proceed following several weeks of stalled action.
Council members on Thursday night approved amending a conditional rezoning agreement that would allow for an increased lighting design in the gas station’s canopy and gave Sheetz 30 days to submit design plans to the city.
The lack of a previous approval resulted in neither side signing the agreement when both sides approved executing the contract last October.
“I just assumed it was executed,” Mayor Michael Lesich said at the council meeting. “I’ll never do that again. And here we are six months later and we’re stalled.”
The Pennsylvania-based company previously went before council in 2024 to gain approval for an $8 million fuel center, convenience store, and restaurant to be constructed at the site of the former State Bank of Fraser on Utica and 14 Mile roads.
But Sheetz later found out the city’s zoning code would not allow a higher level of lighting in the gas station canopy, which Sheetz typically uses. Company representatives asked for a variance to allow the lighting.
David Bruckelmeyer, the company’s permits manager, said it’s a safety issue for customers, so they can adequately see particularly during nighttime hours.
When Sheetz officials said the city’s existing gas stations have similar light plans in place, council members were told that the plan approval was done administratively. So technically, the other gas stations are in violation of Fraser’s light ordinance because the illumination guidelines were never approved by the council.
Council agreed to amend the ordinance to let Sheetz move ahead with its proposed light system under the fuel center canopy.
Councilmember Patrice Schornak expressed concern over residents whose homes back up to the gas station. She said those properties likely would experience additional glare from the development, which would interfere with their right to peacefully enjoy their properties.
Bruckelmeyer then informed the council about the lack of a signed agreement for the site.
“We do not have control of the property,” he said. “We do not have a signed lease because the plans have not been approved at this time.”
He said the city was still reviewing some engineering plans before they are approved. Those documents must be signed before officials can sign off on the purchase agreement.
The Fraser Sheetz is scheduled to be open for business in late 2026.
In other sticking point, Bruckelmeyer said the company performing the demolition of the vacant bank building has halted the process for now.
He said Rochester Hills-based Adams Group stopped the tear-down when they discovered the costs rose by $200,000 to save the building’s facade. No one from the demolition company attended Thursday’s meeting to comment on their future plans or what caused expenses to increase.
The Macomb Daily reported last month that Adams had stopped the work and questioned the reason. Adams Group did not respond to requests for comment at the time.
A spokesperson for Sheetz said last month that he expected the demolition would resume and construction would begin “very soon.”
Councilmember Amy Baranski said Sheetz was responsible for the lack of clear communication.
“To me, this is a no-brainer,” she said. “You have to own your mistake. You made assumptions that didn’t pan out.”
Lesich, the mayor, also asked about rumors of the demolition contractor discovering asbestos in the building, which would require mitigation efforts. But Sheetz officials assured him that all asbestos had been abated by a state-certified company.
Lesich and Schornak both voted against the motion to allow Sheetz to install the lighting system.
