The Aberdeen City Council gave the go-ahead Monday for Graham Tire to open an agriculture and truck tire operations facility at 1805 S. Roosevelt St.
That location, which is east of Aberdeen Central, is the same one that came before Aberdeen voters on a zoning question in 2002. In that election, voters approved the rezoning of the land from mini-agricultural to highway commercial by a margin of 5,629 to 5,228.
The land, which currently houses B&B Contracting, is southeast of the intersection of Melgaard Road and South Roosevelt Street.
Graham Tire plans to buy the 3.2 acre site. Dave Mickelson, who works for Graham Tire in Sioux Falls, said Graham will use the existing building at 1805 S. Roosevelt. The company will retain its current retail location at 2320 Sixth Ave. S.E.
The council was asked to approve the proposed development because the property is located in a school safe zone, said Brett Bill, the city's planning and zoning director.
Council member Jennifer Slaight-Hansen pointed out that the land in question came before the voters, and that the election was close. At that time, the talk was that the land would be used for a convenience store.
Slaight-Hansen said she'd like to continue the matter for a couple of weeks, “because I'm not really comfortable voting on it tonight.”
In answer to a question from Slaight-Hansen, Mickelson said the new Graham Tire facility would attract, in general, six to a dozen vehicles per day. After the meeting, Mickelson said those vehicles would be primarily bigger trucks and agricultural and industrial equipment.
The land is still zoned highway commercial.
Council members Laure Swanson, David Bunsness and Todd Campbell said they didn't see a problem with Graham Tire's proposal. Swanson said the number of expected vehicles didn't seem excessive.
Bunsness and Clint Rux said Graham Tire's purchase would probably improve the looks of the property. Bunsness recalled that the issue that worried voters in 2002 was the sale of alcohol.
Campbell said that Roosevelt and Melgaard are arterial streets, so they fit the usage envisioned by Graham.
Jeff Mitchell and city engineer Robin Bobzien discussed whether area streets would be able to handle heavier vehicles.
The council approved the Graham Tire plan, with only Slaight-Hansen voting against it.
The issue still has to come before the city Board of Zoning Adjustment, Bill said.
On another matter, Aberdeen will try again for a low-income housing tax credit and HOME fund application for a 41-unit apartment building on the corner of South Jackson Street and First Avenue Southeast. The project will be called Jackson Heights Apartments.
The Aberdeen Housing Authority tried for that status a year ago, but the Jackson Heights Apartments were not included in the five projects in the state that were approved.
Jodi Zueger, executive director of the Aberdeen Housing Authority, said Jackson Heights will include 19 one-bedroom apartments. It will be a three-story building.
The council approved a resolution of necessity for the project.
Also Monday, the council passed a resolution in favor of abating a special assessment for nuisance abatement for property owned by the late William Fry on South U.S. Highway 281. The abatement wipes off the property tax amount that Fry owed for a nuisance abatement conducted in 2007. Pursuant to the purchase agreement, the city also agreed to pick up the tab for the past due taxes incurred when the property was owned by Fry.
According to the agenda packet, the amount of money involved was $340.55.
