Sturgis warehouse operations, fireworks tent approved by planning commission

STURGIS — A special land use request for a warehouse on North Prospect Street in Sturgis was approved Tuesday by the city's planning commission.

Vistacore, operating under the business name of MadCheetah, requested the permit for warehousing and storage with a limited customer pickup and a retail area at 309 N. Prospect St.

Warehousing and storage are permitted in the business office service (B-OS) zoning district as a special land use.

MadCheetah, founded in 2008, currently operates two warehouses in Michigan, one in Holland and the other in Byron Center. It buys and resells truckloads of customer returns and overstock items from large U.S. retailers. The business' process involves receiving inventory, inspecting the items, photographing and finally listing the item on a website for auction. Once the auction ends, the winning bidder can either pick their items up at the Prospect Street location or opt for shipping. The business will also have a small retail area inside for items received in bulk.

The Sturgis location will initially employ five or six people, with plans to expand by an additional five to seven employees. Truck deliveries will be 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Friday, with daily business hours Monday through Saturday and closed Sunday. For parking, the owners said the current on-street parking will be sufficient for customer pickups. Their plan also includes adding 20 additional parking spaces to the north off North Prospect.

City Engineer Barry Cox reported before the meeting that Jean Street south of Hatch Street does not permit semi-tractor use due to it being a local street. Hatch and Prospect, however, are both deemed "collector streets" which allows the larger truck usage.

The planning commission also unanimously approved the return of a fireworks sales tent in time for the Independence Day holiday.

TNT Fireworks requested a special land use permit for an outdoor sales area on the Meijer property at 408 W. South St. TNT has secured permission from the owners via lease for the outdoor sales use in the northwest section of the parking lot.

City staff concerns leading up to the vote for an outdoor sales area included restrooms, trash containment, barricades and parking restrictions. Barricades at past outdoor sales areas have been inadequate or nonexistent.

Recent approvals have required a sawhorse with a wood-type border, which is more durable and easier for the tent workers to maintain. The applicant states that restrooms and a trash containment area will be provided by Meijer.

TNT representatives said Tuesday they would be at nearly 60 locations this year, most of them at Meijer properties.

Commissioners Rick Mahler and Jim Liston were absent from Tuesday's meeting.

This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Sturgis warehouse operations, fireworks tent approved