Oakland County Circuit Court.” However, under the Legal Defense Fund section on the Secretary of State's own website, it clearly asks and answers: “Can an elected official use his/her candidate committee funds? No. Section 21a of the Michigan Campaign Finance Act limits the use of those funds which does not include funding a Legal Defense Fund.” According to filings with the Oakland County Elections Division, in setting up his Legal Defense Fund, Devine had only one contribution, $7,000, from “Vote Dan Devine for Bloomfield Township Treasurer,” his candidate campaign fund. An expenditure of $5,000 to Sommers Schwartz PC, the purpose of which was “retainer for law firm for legal representation,” was made on August 3. However, Devine stated “the legal costs paid for by the use of the candidate campaign committee's donation to the Legal Defense Fund are for the defense of myself against false allegations made against me in an administrative action by the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees and to prevent my removal from office.” His response does not address the act's prohibition against funding a legal defense funds with
candidate committee funds. The Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees has made no effort to remove Devine from office. “The state Campaign Finance Act does not permit campaign funds (to be used). The money must be raised separately and paid back,” Woodhams said in November.
Shell station to become mini-mart While denied the opportunity to stay open 24-hours, the owner of the Village Shell gas station at Maple and Lahser roads in Bloomfield Township did receive approvals to renovate as a mini-mart with extended hours of 6 a.m. to midnight daily. Scott Barbat, the new owner of the station, who also owns the BP station/Tim Horton's at Maple and Telegraph, which is a 24-hour operation, requested approval for a final site plan and special land use to convert and close off the service bays to add additional retail to the service station. His request also sought to extend the business hours before 7 a.m. and 9 p.m., permitted operational hours in the township. “His request is for a 24-hour operation,” said Patti Voelker,
Leaking gas tanks removed from Maple/Lahser station By Lisa Brody
he Shell gas station at Maple and Lahser roads in Bloomfield Township, which received approval from the township board of trustees on November 23 to renovate as a mini-mart, was suddenly shut down in early December when the current lessee of the station, Safeway, decided not to continue its lease, prompting immediate remediation of its underground storage tanks which have been on a state leaking storage tank list since 1989. Kim Ethridge,with the Remediation and Redevelopment Division of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), said the station's closing “was quite a surprise, to us included. We are not aware of why the plans changed.” However, she said, “It's state law to remove the tanks if they're not being used.” Scott Barbat, who recently purchased the station, was not aware of the impending closure, according to Bloomfield Township Planner Patti Voelker. Barbat, she said, had not yet taken possession of the station. Barbat also owns the
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township director of planning, building and ordinance. She noted that in the B1 district, where the gas station is located, adjacent to the Village Knoll Shopping Center, gas stations are not a permitted use. She did note that Barbat is looking at exterior changes besides closing off the service bays, including repainting, new siding, new awnings, eliminating the garage doors for the bays, new windows and doors, updated landscaping and new gas pumps. “The request for 24-hour operations went before the planning commission on Thursday, November 19, where they approved extending the hours from 6 a.m. to midnight versus 24 hours, given the businesses nearby, like Kroger, Starbucks and Little Caesar's had examples of extensions of hours beyond 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.,” Voelker said. Michael Alberts, who lives on Lahser, across the street from the station, spoke during public comments. “We don't believe the station owner has any ability to control the noise between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. for a 24-hour convenience store,” he said. “At the design review board, we said we didn't see what the benefit of being open 24-hours would be,”
BP station/Tim Horton's at Maple and Telegraph, as well a new Shell/Dunkin Donuts station on Woodward in Birmingham. “There was an operator in there, a Shell dealer who had a lease, and the landlord decided to lease to another operator,” said Barbat. He said he takes possession of the property January 1, 2016. A resident noted that the station was closed on Tuesday, December 1, and the underground storage tanks were emptied out, with a large excavator on site removing the tanks. The site is number 2266 on the state's Leaking Underground Storage Tank list. Ethridge said its first release was in 1989. It can take one to 20 years, or more, for a release to migrate when there is groundwater, she said. In this case, there was groundwater. “Since 1989, we've been working on monitoring the release, and now as the property was changing hands, it was a good time to arrive at closure,” she said of Safeway. “No one wants them to go on forever. This week, as the tanks were coming out, we wanted to make sure there wasn't a new release, which we didn't see.” She said a major consideration in removal and remediation is seepage into groundwater, especially when there are wells in the area. “Surprisingly, there are quite a handful in the
supervisor Leo Savoie said. “We look at the neighboring communities.” “At the planning board, we felt the surrounding area is residential, versus Maple and Telegraph, which is more commercial, and felt these hours were more compatible with the neighboring businesses,” Voelker said. There were questions regarding parking at the gas station, as well, although Voelker said they and the shopping center were in mutual compliance. “The reason it's so congested right now is because of the garage service,” said Barbat. “It's parked until the owner picks it up. Converting the business from a garage to a retail store, what makes it profitable is depending on those evening hours. It's profitable now as a garage.” “I don't have a problem with it open 'til midnight now. The Kroger is open until then,” said clerk Jan Roncelli. Barbat said he owns a chain of stations, and “the only ones I've had problems with are the ones that close overnight. The ones that are open 24hour, we've not had any problems.” Trustees voted 5-2, with treasurer Dan Devine and trustee Brian Kepes dissenting, to approve the mini-mart hours of 7 a.m. to midnight along with the improvements.
area that are on wells and not municipal water, such as Oakland Hills Country Club, which uses wells for irrigations,” Ethridge said. “One of the first things we see, is if they're on wells, if they're drinking the water, or if they're using it to water their gardens. My first priority is protecting human health.” “About 20 years ago, Shell Oil owned their stations and tanks, and around 2000 they decided they didn't want to own their stations in Michigan anymore, and they divested them to the Safeway Michigan Corporation,” Ethridge said. “This one, along with hundreds of others, is one I manage to make sure it is remediated and closed out, to make sure the release is capped.” She said Shell Oil is the liable party for the remediation because the release was prior to 2000. “Shell Oil has a wonderful consulting crew.” Barbat said he absolutely intends to put in new gas tanks underground and new pumps, and will do a complete renovation of the station into a mini-mart, beginning in January, with an anticipated re-opening in March. “It will have full closure on the site and it will be clean,” Barbat emphasized. “All of the contamination will be removed before we backfill” and put in new tanks and pumps. He said it will remain a Shell gas station.