Sheetz Nears Approval in East Lansing; Council Debates Stop Signs in Glencairn

Sheetz received generally positive feedback from the East Lansing City Council on a proposed 24-hour gas station, convenience store and restaurant, growing optimism the project will be approved when it comes back for a vote next month.

Pennsylvania-based Sheetz has gathered a cult following for its expansive and customizable food options. While there are many Sheetz in other states, the company only recently started to expand into Michigan. 

Sheetz has plans to bring up to a dozen locations to the Greater Lansing area, and the East Lansing location proposed for the corner of Abbot Road and Saginaw Street would be the first. If City Council approves the project, Sheetz plans to open the location in 2027. 

Some Sheetz stores have outdoor speakers that broadcast music, which concerned Mayor Erik Altmann because the proposed location is next to a residential area and office buildings. 

“I’m not sure that’s going to work here,” Altmann said. “I’m wondering if you would be amenable to a condition on your special use permit that would prohibit broadcast of amplified music outdoors?” 

Sheetz can operate without music playing but must have speakers to make emergency announcements, said Sheetz representative Alex Siwicki. 

Additionally, Altmann asked to include language that Sheetz will commit to decreasing the net stormwater runoff from the predevelopment, to which Siwicki replied “no problem.” Siwicki previously told the Planning Commission Sheetz plans to reduce stormwater runoff at the site. 

During a presentation to council, Siwicki spoke about the customizable food options that Sheetz offers. He said patrons can choose from 1.8 million combinations in food orders.

“I don’t know how to convey some of the wackiest things that some people in their strange sensibilities order,” he said. “So, I went on the Google machine and I looked up crazy MTO (made to order) orders, and one that was particularly gross to me… was someone ordered a hotdog with sour cream, pickles and pepperoni on it. Sounds gross, but we’ll make it for you if that’s what you want.”

Sheetz convenience stores also offers more grocery options than stores that accompany most gas stations.

“If you need bacon at 3 in the morning, I can hook you up,” Siwicki said.

The Sheetz proposal will come back to council for a vote at council’s next meeting on Feb. 3, with the two new conditions. 

City rejects recommendation from commission and consultant, likely to order Glencairn stop sign installation at next meeting. 

Following the Sheetz discussion, the Council shifted its focus to traffic safety in the Glencairn neighborhood. The discussion was about adding stop signs to one intersection, but it showed council members’ approaches to neighborhood traffic concerns – which are widespread. 

The city’s Transportation Commission, engineering department and engineering consultant Fishbeck don’t recommend replacing yield signs with stop signs at the intersection of Rosewood Avenue and Southlawn Avenue based on a study. However, the majority of council members declined to move forward with the advisory opinion, asking staff to bring a traffic control order to install stop signs to the next council meeting, where the stop signs could be approved. 

Neighborhood residents have been complaining about excessive speeding at the intersection, and Fishbeck conducted a study that examined pedestrian characteristics, physical characteristics of the intersections and traffic conditions to determine if a stop sign is warranted. 

“In general stop signs are not recommended for speed control and studies have found unwarranted stop signs can cause safety concerns for pedestrians and cyclists,” Director of Public Works Ron Lacasse said. “If they’re unwarranted, over time people get tired of stopping where there isn’t conflicting traffic, and they tend to roll through them and pedestrians and cyclists expect cars to stop at stop signs.”

Lacasse mentioned city staff is in the process of overhauling its neighborhood action plan.

“We are in the process of doing a full revamp of the neighborhood action plan to address the traffic,” Lacasse said. “We’ve got a pretty clear direction from residents that they’re not happy with the current plan, and it doesn’t appear to ever lead to solutions.” 

The consultant will review action plans across different communities and make recommendations to the city engineering department, which will go to the Transportation Commission and then ultimately to the City Council for a vote. 

While the action plan is being developed, council wondered if they should add the stop signs in Glencairn.

Councilmember Steven Whelan said he appreciates the data collected, but he still thinks installing stop signs would be beneficial. 

He was sent a video from days before the meeting of a car going through the intersection too fast, when the driver yielded they lost control of their car, went off the road and hit a tree. 

“This neighbor, the last time we talked, was pretty adamant about not having stop signs,” Whelan said. “Now that totally changed his mind, and he lives at the southeast corner of that intersection…we’ve got a neighborhood that seems like they’re pretty concerned, and I think maybe a stop sign would be a benefit there.” 

Mayor Pro Tem Chuck Grigsby echoed Whelan’s comments that lived experiences should be taken into account. 

“I’ve heard a lot about the traffic and issues, and how important it is for residents’ lived experience in there and them thinking that this makes this a lot better for their living experience,” Grigsby said. “So I’m leaning towards going against the recommendation.” 

Altmann said that he is comfortable going against the recommendation partially due to equity concerns because other neighborhoods have more stop signs. But before moving forward, he wants input from the neighborhood association on whether this is what they want. 

“I would prefer to have their input and a clear signal from the neighborhood association that they think this is reasonable because it gives us some cover,” Altmann said. “I have acted on things that seem self-evidently the right thing to do, and then it turns out that a lot of people didn’t like it.” 

Councilmember Kerry Ebersole Singh thinks there’s a benefit to following the direction set by staff and the Transportation Commission. 

“I am pro setting the standards and the process, and so we’re not throwing stop signs randomly across the community, that there is a system approach to make our best conclusion for what the remedy should be,” Singh said.  

Councilmember Mark Meadows said he supports installing stop signs in areas they’re requested. 

“It’s not always the right answer, but I feel pretty confident that whatever neighborhood we’re talking about, if they say ‘we need a stop sign at such and such’ I’m happy to put in a stop sign,” Meadows said. “I do think that even people who kind of blow a stop sign don’t blow it at full speed. They slow down, and then they use it as a yield sign as they go through.” 

The conversation came to a close when Altmann motioned to defer this topic to the Feb. 3 meeting where staff will come back with an order to install the stop signs for council to approve. 

The motion passed 4-1. Singh voted against, citing concerns about going against the Transportation Commission’s recommendation and inconsistent neighborhood feedback.