New Speedway gas station at Miller and Maple wins approval from Ann Arbor City Council
The Ann Arbor City Council gave approval Tuesday night to a site plan allowing construction of a new Speedway gas station at 1300 N. Maple Road.
The vote was 9-0 with Marcia Higgins and Carsten Hohnke absent.
The plans call for demolition of a long-vacant service station building at the corner of Miller and Maple and construction of a 3,968-square-foot, single-story gas station and convenience store.
It's expected to include five gasoline pumps capable of servicing 10 vehicles. The pumps are to be covered by a 28-foot-by-121-foot canopy.
Courtesy of City of Ann Arbor
That will leave two curb cuts — one on Maple and one on Miller. A total of 14 vehicle parking spaces will be provided in addition to 12 bicycle parking spaces.
City officials noted there is an existing five-foot-wide pedestrian path that runs along the eastern and northern sides of the site. The path is located within a public easement zoned as public land.
Since the easement area is not owned by the city, city staff initiated a rezoning to commercial use to be consistent with the remainder of the site.
The rezoning action, initially approved Tuesday night, is being considered separately from the site plan and must come back for a second reading and final approval at the council's next meeting.
"The easement dedication was a condition of a previous site plan proposal for a gas station on this site in 1972," City Planner Matt Kowalski wrote in a memo to council.
Kowalski said the old site plan was approved, the path was installed, and the easement area was rezoned to public land at that time. He said the 1972 project never went forward, but the easement and zoning remain in place on the privately owned parcel.
The council also gave initial approval Tuesday night to a rezoning request to allow construction of a three-story townhouse building containing five dwelling units at 922-926 Catherine St. The rezoning must come back for a second reading and final approval.
Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.
Comments
Ann English
Thu, Sep 6, 2012 : 9:43 p.m.
Another Speedway? I trust it will be as gas price competitive as other Speedway stations. I never thought I'd be glad to hear of a convenience store being built, but that tells me that CASH will be accepted for gasoline. Costco won't accept cash, for there's no building, let alone cashier, to accept cash payments there.
wordup
Thu, Sep 6, 2012 : 4:13 p.m.
Unusual suspect: are you serious? A subway? Anything is better than it sitting vacant. I am all for it, but wish it was Jimmy Johns:)
wordup
Thu, Sep 6, 2012 : 4:11 p.m.
We live close by and we are thrilled! Next item on the agenda, get rid of the dumpy strip mall to the north of this site and make Miller/Maple the nice shopping and pedestrian node it can be. Safer and cleaner for those Skyline students and nearby residents. Hope this is just the beginning of improvements to come.
justcurious
Thu, Sep 6, 2012 : 1:57 p.m.
When I was a child that property had a tall hill on it. Read's Store sat at the top of that hill. I once put my hand through the glass on the door to that business. Still have the scar on my left pinky. Kitty corner to that there was a dairy. The cows grazed on the south side of Miller Ave. where the subdivision is now. The sub was built in the 50's. Maple Road was a gravel road at that time. Fritz School was where I went to kindergarten.
justcurious
Thu, Sep 6, 2012 : 1:59 p.m.
By the way, a gas station is a good addition over there.
Unusual Suspect
Thu, Sep 6, 2012 : 12:45 p.m.
Still no progress on the opposite corner, but it is listed as "Coming soon" on the Subway website.
Hmm
Thu, Sep 6, 2012 : 3:32 p.m.
x2 for Jimmy John's
bunnyabbot
Thu, Sep 6, 2012 : 1:09 p.m.
yuck, subway. totally needed to be a jimmy johns
music to my ear
Thu, Sep 6, 2012 : 12:36 p.m.
like who owns the speedway corp, can I buy some shares, those gas stations are like meijers they are everywhere are they american owned I guess we need another ,busy. busy ,busy they are.
YpsiLivin
Thu, Sep 6, 2012 : 1:01 p.m.
According to the company's website, "Speedway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marathon Petroleum Corporation." (Sorry. No stocks for you.) They operate 1,350 stores in seven states, including Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Nerak
Thu, Sep 6, 2012 : 11:45 a.m.
Glad to see the number of curb cuts reduced. At certain times of the day, it was nearly impossible to safely exit the previous gas station. Maybe now they'll remove the old furniture that's being dumped on this eyesore site?
Carole
Thu, Sep 6, 2012 : 10:43 a.m.
Great -- something needed to be done on that corner.
Carrie Rheingans
Thu, Sep 6, 2012 : 3:01 a.m.
There were no dates in the article - any estimations of when construction will begin and end?
wordup
Thu, Sep 6, 2012 : 4:52 p.m.
I would bet that construction will start very soon. Its costly to holdoff until spring to do work. I hope to see completion before winter. If the City cooperates and they can get all there permits and work done in a timely fashion.
Suzanne VanAppledorn
Thu, Sep 6, 2012 : 11:49 a.m.
Would love an estimated timeline. Has any progress been made on use of the renovated gas station - business site on the southwest corner of Maple Miller just across the intersection?
jcoffey
Thu, Sep 6, 2012 : 12:23 a.m.
So is it the vacant station on the southwest side of the corner or the vacant gas station on the northeast side? The map shows the southwest side as being the spot (black lined with dots). This building on the SW has been significantly refurbished and improved, so I think the map is wrong, it must be the old station on the northeast side....???
Ann English
Thu, Sep 6, 2012 : 9:40 p.m.
North Circle Drive and Sequoia Parkway are SOUTH of the intersection, so the Speedway will be built at the station that used to be a Marathon station. I think I remember seeing the underground gas tanks at the southwest side being taken out, so that whatever took the place of the old Shell station would definitely not be a gas station. I never saw the gas tanks underground at the Marathon station taken out.
Unusual Suspect
Thu, Sep 6, 2012 : 2:19 p.m.
Except on AATA route maps.
A24Mee
Thu, Sep 6, 2012 : 1:39 p.m.
North is UP
Oscar Lavista
Thu, Sep 6, 2012 : 1:52 a.m.
Better look again, podnah.
ribs1
Thu, Sep 6, 2012 : 12:11 a.m.
Since when do business owners have to WIN approval to purchase a property and open a business. Is this a lottery?
Richard Carter
Wed, Sep 26, 2012 : 4:38 p.m.
Ever submitted the winning bid on a piece of real estate when others are in line to purchase?
JS
Wed, Sep 5, 2012 : 10:28 p.m.
I'm curious about what the daycare and the homeowners living adjacent to this project think about it. I hope speedway takes care to not have it be one of those glaring neon and white light stations. Although they do make a good slushy.
Housedivided
Fri, Sep 7, 2012 : 2:29 p.m.
Speedways seem to be clean and it will be an improvement on that corner. There will be jobs created with tax dollars being generated for the city. I think it will be a positive thing.
Hmm
Thu, Sep 6, 2012 : 3:31 p.m.
I'm guessing the party store will be none too happy to have soft drink and snack competition so near to them, but I think they will be fine as long as they are the only ones selling alcohol over there.
LDR
Thu, Sep 6, 2012 : 1:46 a.m.
Well, I live quite close and I'm fairly certain the parents and many homeowners are thinking like me that It will be wonderful not to have to worry about reaching the gas station several miles away at Huron/Stadium, or having to backtrack away from two highway entrances to get gas, before getting on the highway! We miss the stations that were there before.
brimble
Wed, Sep 5, 2012 : 9:18 p.m.
This represents a great improvement for the corner, and a useful location for a gas station as well. Tough to make intuitive sense of the necessity for 12 bicycle parking spaces at a gas station, though. That many cyclists will be there for ... giant sodas?
BobbyJohn
Thu, Sep 6, 2012 : 2:29 p.m.
First of all, I would be shocked if 12 bicycle spaces were needed. Secondly, I would guess that many cyclists won't use the official bike parking area. Wasted and unnecessary expense for the business.
LDR
Thu, Sep 6, 2012 : 1:43 a.m.
This station is directly on the way home for dozens, maybe a couple hundred, of high school kids. They don't all go home at the same time, but they do travel in packs, lol. I have no doubt that my boys would run in for snacks -- especially given that Speedway has pizza and slushies. And then there's the weekends and summers with kids all through the neighborhood. Many used to ride down the ice cream store. Some bike riders will probably be employees, too.
Dog Guy
Thu, Sep 6, 2012 : 1:15 a.m.
The twelve bicycle parking spaces were insurance for getting approval from the Hieftje council.
bunnyabbot
Wed, Sep 5, 2012 : 8:39 p.m.
SWEET! It's about time, I am so excited about this new Speedway. People have been using the building to dump furniture :(