By: Gena Johnson | Warren Weekly | Published September 10, 2024
WARREN — The Warren Planning Commission voted unanimously Aug. 19 to approve the site plan for a Sheetz gas station and convenience store amid resistance from area businesses and residents.
The commission’s decision to approve or deny a project is based on whether the plan meets the zoning requirements and ordinances, according to Warren Planning Commission Chairman Warren Smith.
“As long as it meets the ordinance, and as long as it meets all the requirements, we have an obligation to approve it,” Smith said at the meeting.
Sheetz is to be located on the southeast corner of 12 Mile and Mound roads, at 5920 12 Mile and 28950 Mound, which is the current location of the Victory Inn, a Warren restaurant that has been in the community nearly 80 years.
Sheetz was presented as a family-owned business that is a friend to the community it serves. David Bruckelmeyer, a representative of the company, gave the presentation to the commission in which he said, “None of its stores are franchised; rather, corporately owned through the family.”
Sheetz concentrates on food, according to Bruckelmeyer.
“We operate a 24/7/365 kitchen. Every menu option is open all day all year. It’s an incredible offering, so we are heavily food focused. We also offer a very large amount of premium convenience items,” he said.
Among those premium items at the gas station, store and restaurant will be liquor, wine and beer.
“I would like to note that we will not be able to sell liquor 24 hours. We do sell liquor; we do not consider ourselves a liquor store,” Bruckelmeyer said. “We are not going to have a large selection. It will be very limited and carryout beer and wine as well. So we do not feel we need private security.”
Because the stores are open 24 hours, Bruckelmeyer stressed how the store’s lighting offers security.
“Sheetz takes a really big emphasis on security. Because we are open 24/7/365 we do want to provide that sense of security to our customers and employees, so we properly light our sites. It’s something that’s really critical,” Bruckelmeyer said. “Lighting does deter any kind of issues going on. In addition to that, on an average site Sheetz provides roughly 60 high definition monitored cameras that are monitored 24/7/365 by Sheetz employees back in Altoona, Pennsylvania, something that’s really incredible.”
Bruckelmeyer praised the work environment.
“Something that sets us apart is Sheetz has an incredible culture and that’s spoken to by Sheetz being named to Fortune’s ‘100 Best Companies to Work For’ nine years running,” Bruckelmeyer said. “Along with that, we’ve grown to offer 30 to 35 positions per location.
Those include preferably full-time positions that offer benefits, paid time off, 401(k), the entire package, so it’s really a premium offering to our employees.”
Bruckelmeyer’s presentation extolled Sheetz as a business that would be a positive addition to the community.
Warren business owners and residents had a different view. Their concerns included the reputation of the company, crime, taking business away from local small business owners, and a history of discrimination practices.
Sharkey Haddad from the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce said at the meeting, “I’m here today to ask you to do your due diligence and check with other states and their police departments about their experiences with Sheetz years after their approval so you are not misguided by their sugar-coated presentations and public relations campaigns,” Haddad said.
“Ask your police chief about their public safety concerns with Sheetz 24-hour restaurant, gas station and liquor store near a highway,” Haddad said. “Or ask your police chief to Google crimes at Sheetz. Ask Sheetz how much their employees must pay per month per person for their competitive prices for health care.”
Other Warren residents spoke at the meeting.
“We know they have this problem with discrimination. We know they have a record of bad gas. They had to shut down the Romeo (Michigan) place for selling gas in January because they had water in the gas,” said Michael Brzoska.
“We know (they) don’t support local businesses, it’s a national chain, so the chips, the pop, whatever other stuff that’s not coming local they are going to kill local business,” Brzoska said.
“We know they have late-night problems,” Brzoska said. “I did a late-night trip and ended up in Raleigh, a very nice area, and it didn’t look like that at midnight (pointing to a photo on the screen of Sheetz). It’s a hangout spot for people that have no place to go or nothing to do.”
Beverly Suida, owner of the Victory Inn, said, “I just want the record to reflect that an actual completed and closed sale of the Victory Inn property cannot happen any sooner than August 1, 2027.
“The Victory Inn is not closing and will continue to be open and operating as usual,” Suida said.
In a previous interview with the Warren Weekly, Suida said, “I am excited about celebrating our 80th anniversary in 2026.”
In light of the agreement with the Victory Inn, Smith questioned whether Sheetz would be able to move forward with their plans.
“I don’t think it affects anything, they can get a two-year approval here and if they haven’t changed anything in the lease, or whatever their intentions are with the owner, they can get an extension,” said Ron Wuerth, director of planning for the city of Warren. “Getting a year extension is not something that is uncommon. It’s more common than uncommon.”
Smith implored the representative from Sheetz to address the concerns of the business owners made during the meeting.
“We are working on engaging with the Chaldean Chamber. Some of those conversations are being worked on,” Bruckelmeyer said. He attributed much of the comments to businesses not wanting additional competition.
“We have picked a property that really fits the appropriate zoning. Another fuel station operator could come in here and build another site by right, and they would also therefore be competition,” Bruckelmeyer said.
“I’m sure it’s going to have some impact (on business) because of the amenities that you offer, some of the other businesses don’t offer,” Warren Planning Commissioner Claudette Robinson said at the meeting.
Sheetz also has plans to bring another gas station and convenience store to Warren, at Van Dyke Avenue and Murthum Avenue, the site of the former Pampa Lanes.