Suburbs resist Sheetz's expansion across Metro Detroit
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The Sheetz gas station and convenience store in Cumru Township, Pennsylvania. Photo: Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images
Sheetz's aggressive expansion has encountered a chilly response in some suburbs where residents have concerns about traffic, noise and crime.
The big picture: The Pennsylvania-based company wants to bring up to 60 convenience stores to Metro Detroit over the next five or so years.
- Besides gas, Sheetz megastations have food and the self-proclaimed "cleanest bathroom this side of Oz."
State of play: Despite the potential conveniences, suburbanites in Royal Oak, Farmington Hills and Livonia are among those bristling at Sheetz's arrival and its 24-hour business model.
Driving the news: Royal Oak's planning commission on Tuesday approved a Sheetz gas station and car wash development at West 14 Mile Road and Coolidge Highway.
- But before the full city commission takes it up, the developer has to pay for a peer review of its traffic study for the project. The timeline for that hasn't been set, Royal Oak spokesperson Judy Davids tells Axios.
What they're saying: "We don't want this monstrosity on this corner," Nicole Buzynski said at the planning commission meeting, per the Detroit News.
- "I mean, it's just going to be a disaster. It's already bad. The traffic there is horrible."
The other side: The opening of the first Michigan Sheetz — near DTW in Romulus — was greeted in August by a line of excited customers.
- Construction at 13 other local sites in cities including Taylor, Warren and Ypsilanti is on track to start later this year and into 2026, according to the company.
- "We look forward to working closely with neighboring municipalities who are excited to introduce our unique experience to their residents," president and CEO Travis Sheetz said in a statement last week.
Zoom in: The Farmington Hills city council unanimously rejected a Sheetz gas station at 12 Mile and Middlebelt roads last month.
- But the city's planning commission in December approved another planned Sheetz location to the south, at Grand River and Middlebelt. That proposal did not need council approval because it's already commercially zoned, per the Detroit News.
The Livonia city council last month denied a proposed Sheetz at a former Rite Aid location at Eight Mile and Newburgh roads, WXYZ reported.
- After the vote, Sheetz said in a statement that it would look into other options at the location.
The bottom line: Sheetz remains committed to "big plans" for Metro Detroit.
- "The land development process is long," Sheetz regional real estate director Justin Mandel told the Free Press, "and can take many twists and turns."