Attica Twp. land being cleared; gas station planned

New owners face environmental issues

 

ATTICA TWP. — Chainsaws and wood chippers have been buzzing on a parcel of land that is intended to be the home of a new gas station and drive thru restaurant.

The hotly contested project is far from becoming reality, however, as the owners of the property face an uphill battle that includes dealing with contaminated soil.

According to township officials, the property, located on the northwest corner of the intersection of Newark Rd. and Lake Pleasant Rd., has extensive soil contamination that requires remediation.

Al Ochadleus, the Township Supervisor (until November 20), said, “I have looked at two separate environmental studies, both hundreds of pages long, and they both show contamination.”

The supervisor said clearing the land of brush and trees, work that has been ongoing for the past several weeks, is able to proceed, despite the soil contamination.

“They’re not disturbing the soil, so they can go ahead and clear property while they figure this out,” Ochadleus stated.

In a months-long battle, the township and owners of the business known as Bazco Oil Holdings, have been going back and forth on whether or not the business would be allowed.

Numerous township residents had also voiced their concern and disapproval of the station being located at the intersection, just south of the Lake Pleasant exit at I-69.

Despite multiple meetings between Bazco Oil and various township committees, Ochadleus says ultimately, it came down to a decision by the township ZBA board.

“It’s been zoned commercial for some time and that’s exactly what they need. Commercial zoning,” he said.

“The township realized in the end, had this gone to court with a lawsuit, we would have most likely lost and they would have been able to put in their original request. Instead, the ZBA approved the company’s revised request which is a smaller version of what they originally wanted.”

On December 7 of 2023, the Attica Twp. Zoning Board of Appeals held a public hearing to hear comments on the project.

Bazco Oil Holdings officals have said the actual business will take up just five of the 10.9 acres on the property.

At that same meeting on December 7, the ZBA passed a motion to approve the appeal request by Bazco.

Later, the board approved a second motion approving the special land use for Bazco with certain stipulations.

The ZBA further approved a site plan by the company, contingent on meeting all requirements by the Lapeer County Road Commission and EGLE (formerly the DEQ) regarding land contamination. underground storage tanks.

Ochadleus said the new development, “will be a combination of the Speedway station in Imlay City and the BP station across the road.”

He went on to say, “there will be some overnight parking for big trucks, several gas pumps (10), electric vehicle charging bays and the drive thru.”

Plans also call for large retention ponds and underground fuel tanks, placed towards the back of the property.

According to the company’s website, Bazco Enterprises is headquartered in New Haven, Michigan. Since being founded in 2004, Bazco Enterprises and its subsidiaries have grown through technological implementation, company-operated locations, all while remaining committed to exceeding their customers’ expectations.

Their website sates, “from the very beginning, Bazco Oil Company has been a customer-focused company. Throughout the years business has changed, however, this is the one variable that has remained constant. Our focus will always be the customer. Having been in the petroleum business since the late 1980s, the Bazco Oil team has developed the business with customer satisfaction as a top priority. Bazco Oil continues to place the customer first by bringing industry knowledge, trust, experience, and a competitive structure to the customer. Our partnership with our customers is the one thing we value the most. We understand the issues you face and want the opportunity to provide you with the competitive edge you deserve. We also understand the ever-changing marketplace and continue to evolve as a company in order to help our retailers meet the needs they are challenged with.”

Bazco Oil Company offers a variety of successful brands such as Citgo, Sunoco, Shell, 76, Mobile, Valero, BP, Marathon, and VP-Racing.

Attempts to contact Bazco Oil Holdings for comment on the Attica Twp. project, through email, have gone unanswered.