Tires Plus Rolling Into Oak Creek

Tires Plus got the final OK from the Oak Creek Common Council Tuesday night to build an 8,500-square-foot facility on Howell Avenue.

The tire-change and auto-service business will be constructed at 8051 S. Howell Ave., on a vacant space just north of Sonic and east of Woodman's. 

Most aldermen spoke highly of the proposal and passed the measure 5-1. Alderman Dan Jakubczyk said the demand in the city for Tire Plus' services is there, and the business is a good fit for the neighborhood.

Alderman Ken Gehl disagreed, casting the lone vote in opposition. He called the proposal a "missed opportunity" due to its location next to the former Delphi site, on the corner of Howell and Drexel. 

With city officials planning a major redevelopment project at Delphi, Gehl said he was disappointed to see that type of business so close by, adding it had no synergy with the surrounding businesses. 

City officials tried to address aesthetic concerns through conditions of Tire Plus' conditional-use permit. The permit prohibits any outdoor storage, junked vehicles, tires or other products, and also requires all vehicles left overnight to be kept indoors.

The Plan Commission last month.