Plymouth Residents, Planning Commission Oppose Developer’s Rezoning Request

A developer looking to build on space at 909 Sheldon Road faces an uphill battle after his request to rezone the property for commercial use saw overwhelming opposition Wednesday at a public hearing before the Plymouth City Planning Commission.

Grand Sakwa Plymouth LLC applied to have the property currently housing warehouse facilities, owned by Bank of America, rezoned from light industrial to commercial use. However, ambiguity over what would eventually occupy the space drew concern from residents fearful of a big-box retail outlet impacting local traffic and neighborhood safety.

Planning commissioners unanimously opposed the rezoning request and recommended the Plymouth City Commission deny the request when it comes to a vote there in April.

Joe White, a resident who said he has lived on North Sheldon Road for 30 years, said warehouse buildings such as the one on the site are “obsolete.” He said he hadn’t made up his mind about how he feels about the property becoming a retail space, but said he could be in favor of more taxpayers in the community.

“Functionally, the property has much more value, something other than industrial,” he said. “It needs to be looked at economically.”

White said he wanted to see more facts before deciding how he stands.

Teri Allen, who operates in downtown Plymouth, said she loves the “quaintness” of Plymouth and its mix of retail, restaurants and stores and opposed making the warehouse space a retail area.

“If you allow something like this to develop, it will suck the life out of this downtown,” she said.

Planning commissioner Donald Fullenwider, who voted to recommend denying the rezoning request, said that the applicant is a “very serious” developer who does quality work.

“I think that if they were to pursue the development they’re thinking about, it would be a high-quality place to shop,” he said. “I think we owe them to very seriously consider what they’re requesting.”

Still, he said, the proposed rezoning would “severely” impact local traffic and could set a precedent for similar developments.

Planning Commission Chairman Jim Mulhern said Wednesday’s vote was just a step in the process and that the next step is for the matter to go before city commissioners in April.