Detroit Lakes, MN (KDLM) – A development along South Shore Drive in Detroit Lakes, that included plans for a gas station at 270th Avenue, has new life after it received a preliminary approval recommendation by the Becker County Planning Commission during their regular meeting on Wednesday night; much to the disappointment of many area residents in attendance.
The plan has been highly criticized by some Detroit Lakes residents ever since the development attempted make its way through the zoning process with the city of Detroit Lakes.
The developer initially wanted the 68-acre parcel to be annexed into Detroit Lakes, but the residents pushed back against the idea of a gas station being zoned and built in their quiet southside neighborhood, and the city council denied the measure in December.
However, the city council did also ask the Detroit Lakes planning commission to revisit the need for a neighborhood commercial zoning district as described in the city’s comprehensive plan. The planning commission crafted a framework for the new zoning category over the spring, which included gas stations with a number of restrictions, but the residents voiced their opposition to the gas station again, this time to the proposed zoning category, and the gas station was removed as a conditional-use in the new zone.
Following the removal of gas stations from the neighborhood zoning category, many residents felt the issue was finally settled, until the developer decided to seek a conditional-use permit from Becker County planning and zoning on Wednesday for a gas station at the nearly exact same location just outside of Detroit Lakes’ southern city limits.
Angry Detroit Lakes residents returned to voice their opposition to the proposal.
One resident said: “I guarantee you, if you were to put in the news paper, we’re doing a comprehensive plan and we’re putting in a gas station across the street from one-and-a-half to two million dollar homes, people would’ve been pissed.”
Another resident said: “I understand companies wanting to expand to areas they think can prosper from their services, but putting in a gas station/convenience store on South Shore Drive does not appeal to residents that live in this area. And I do have a petition that is signed by 80 residents out in Lake Forrest Circle and I’d like to submit this.”
A third resident said: “A business would be fine a coffee shop, a restaurant, whatever, we’re okay with that. We get that it’s gonna develop, but it has to be a gas station, and that’s what we are not okay with.”
An older resident said: “We that live out there are living out there because we like a semi-rural area. If we wanted to be close to gas stations, grocery stores, movie theatres, restaurants, then you’d move into town.”
The residents also mentioned the safety concerns with a gas station being in close proximity to the new South Shore Park, as well as, the increased traffic a gas station convenience store would bring. They also said it puts the values of their homes at risk, if a gas station is put in.
A member of the Lake View Township Board, where the property is located, told the county planning commission, the town board was not opposed to the development.
Tommy Ailie, planning commission member for Detroit Lakes, said he thinks the traffic will actually decrease if a gas station is put in on the proposed property.
“You are cutting down the miles that everyone has to drive as far as going to a gas station,” said Ailie. “If you are going 10 minutes to County Highway 6, or you are going 10 minutes to Casey’s, so as far as that road traffic goes, in my opinion, it is going to be the same, or else you are cutting it down because instead of driving 10 minutes, you are driving two. So, it adds a stop in-between so there’s less traffic.”
After a long discussion with its membership, the Becker County planning commission will recommend approval of the conditional-use permit on a 6-3 vote with two abstentions due to conflicts of interest.
Following the meeting, Jason Gehrig, owner of Gehrig Properties, said change is sometimes hard, but Detroit Lakes is growing to the south and they want their development to be at the forefront of that push.
“We’re just trying to develop a great community and give it the amenities that it needs,” said Gehrig. “Detroit Lakes is moving to the south, and with growth, you need amenities, otherwise it’s a dying community. I feel bad for everyone that opposes, but we need to make change and change is sometimes hard. The development, it’s going to eventually be a breath of fresh air down the road. It’ll look aesthetically pleasing. It’s going to look like a home, but with pumps. And the lighting issue, change is sometimes frustrating, but in the end, it’s change and we can’t just be self-centered.”
The Becker County Planning Commission will be holding a special meeting on Sept. 18 to report new findings and conditions associated with the Gehrig Properties permit before the issue moves to the Becker County Board during their regular meeting on Sept. 19.
