Garden City — Garden City planning commissioners on Nov. 13 unanimously recommended that City Council approve a gas station, convenience store and drive‑through restaurant planned for 31406 Ford Road, subject to a set of conditions addressing access, setbacks and site details.

Commissioners voted 5–0 to recommend approval after staff said the revised site plan (dated Oct. 31, 2025) addressed many prior comments but still requires a 10‑foot variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals because the proposed building sits about 30 feet from an adjacent residential zone where the zoning code requires a 40‑foot setback. Staff also recommended conditions including final approvals from the Michigan Department of Transportation and Wayne County for driveway access, specific drive‑through speaker specifications, confirmation of turning radii for larger vehicles, and standard engineering and fire‑marshal sign‑offs.

"If the planning commission determines that the site meets the standards of approval for special land use we would raise that any recommendation of approval to the council be contingent upon the applicant obtaining a 10 foot variance," staff advised. The commission adopted that approach and added a requirement that directional signage and final traffic configuration comply with the final approved MDOT/Wayne County configuration.

The applicant's representative said the team has worked with MDOT and Wayne County and that DTE has agreed to relocate electric lines if required; the applicant noted a utility relocation cost of about $31,000. The applicant also told commissioners the updated plan addressed prior concerns and that they would revise drive‑through turning radii, dumpster location and lighting notes as required by staff.

Specific site‑plan technical items flagged for revision include verifying that the drive‑through geometry accommodates a 20‑foot vehicle, confirming fuel‑truck and garbage‑truck circulation around the canopy and dumpster, adding full cutoff lighting notes (no fixtures mounted to canopy roofs), updating dumpster enclosure details to include an oil/grease canister, and ensuring sidewalks and landscaping are inspected or replaced as needed.

Following the planning commission's recommendation, the proposal will be forwarded to City Council; final approvals also depend on actions by MDOT, Wayne County, the Zoning Board of Appeals (for the variance) and city building/engineering sign‑offs.