Aldi could be coming to the corner
By Jim Newell
Managing Editor
OXFORD TWP. — The Oxford Township Planning Commission voted 4-1 on May 8 to recommend that a vacant lot on the southwest corner of Market Street and Lapeer Road be rezoned from C-1 Local Commercial to C-2 General Commercial.
Commissioners Ryan Austin, Patti Durr, Korey Bailey and Mark Blankenship voted to recommend approval for the zoning map amendment to the township board of trustees. Commissioner Donald Wloszek cast the lone nay vote. Commissioners David Wagner and Bob Turner were absent from the meeting.
Consideration and approval for the zoning map amendment request was not on the board of trustees May 14 agenda.
Adam Steuer with Versa Real Estate representing VAQ-E LLC, the petitioner requesting the rezoning, did disclose at the meeting that if the site is successfully rezoned the intention is to build an Aldi grocery store.
“We are planning on a single-use building for an Aldi grocery store, which is projected to be 22,000 square feet,” Steuer said.
“No formal site plan has been submitted with the rezoning,” said planning consultant Matteo Passalacqua of Carlisle Wortman Associates, Inc. “If approved, the lot would conform to C-2 dimensional requirements.”
On Tuesday, an Oxford Township official confirmed that nothing from Aldi has been submitted to the township building department. Township documents list the property owner as OXI LLC.
Under the township’s zoning guidelines, a C-1 designation allows for a building of up to 10,000 square feet to be built on a site. A C-2 rezoning designation allows for a building up to 65,000 square feet. The lot is approximately 8.39 acres.
“We do not intend to build up to 65,000 square feet,” Steuer said, adding that if they are successful in their request for rezoning they are in agreement with the seller to do a lot split. “So, we are planning on taking the frontage four acres off of M-24 for an Aldi development. So, with the lot split it would also prohibit us from doing a bigger use store.”
Steuer said they have hired a traffic consultant for the proposed project and the entrance for the store would be off of Market Street. “We are not confident that we would get an entrance off of M-24.”
If the property is rezoned, a future site plan would address traffic flow issues.
“It would definitely give the community another food option to shop at,” Steuer said, adding that there are 13 Aldi locations in Oakland County. There is currently an Aldi on Brown Road in Orion Township and another in Lapeer.
The commercial land use goal stated in the township’s 2019 master plan is that commercial and office uses primarily should be along M-24 in proximity to the village; however, limited retail and service operations servicing neighborhoods should be considered along other major thoroughfares as well, said Passalacqua.
“When we talk about development potential, if rezoned, the lot would allow for more types of commercial retail uses, as well as larger-type of developments,” said Passalacqua, adding that given the current market trends the site does have development potential under C-2 zoning.
C-2 zoning is prevalent along M-24. The west side of the property is currently zoned Recreation; the north side is zoned C-1 Local Commercial, while the east and south sides of the property are zoned C-2 General Commercial.
“The master plan does envision some type of commercial uses there. It does have residential mixed into it, so it’s not a direct correlation but it does envision commerce on the site,” Passalacqua said. “C-2 uses are typically found along major thoroughfares adjacent to residential districts. The proposed site does appear to be conducive to development potential for C-2.”
“If there’s other C-2 within that area that are vacant properties, I’m looking at and thinking about future land use, and if there’s other C-2 that’s not occupied why would we as a community want to increase the amount of C-2, increase the amount of density when the demand’s not there,” Wloszek said. “Retail space of up to 10,000 (square) feet in gross floor area is permitted in both C-1 and C-2, but retail uses of up to 65,000 square feet in gross area is only permitted under C-2. So, that to me, I see that and that’s a pretty significant difference.”
The site also has not garnered any interest under the C-1 zoning district;
“This is the first application we’ve seen in well over a year,” Passalacqua said. “C-2 would allow for expanded uses at the site, and that would increase its investment potential.”
“It doesn’t abut any conflicting land uses if it were to be zoned C-2,” Passalacqua said. “In summary, the rezoning is compatible with market demands.”