Businessman Steve Smith’s bid to develop the center of Oakley is coming back to the city’s planning commission after more than a year. It includes a few changes.
The Marion native, who recently renovated the Oakley Diner, applied two years ago to redevelop much of the surrounding land from the diner to the post office.
According to city planner Stephanie Woolstenhulme, Smith’s plans to purchase Dutch’s Service Station, right in the middle of the proposed development, fell through.
Dutch’s, which is still owned by Kelly Edwards, is now being excluded from the plans.
And the rewritten proposal may also include two new parcels of land south of city hall, the city planner indicated. That’s the city-owned land between the post office and Cattlemen’s Hall, including the hall itself.
Oakley hasn’t sold any land to Smith or his development company, but officials were previously discussing a land swap.
The amended development application hasn’t been made public yet.
Smith’s attorney Matt Wirthlin said it will still include a mix of residential and commercial in the city’s core behind city hall.
“As a brief preview, there will be some affordable housing, some apartments in that mixed-use center,” he told city planning commissioners in April.
Before city council and planning commission meetings last month, the last public discussion about city center development was in September 2023.
Some commissioners have expressed skepticism about a new Dutch’s Service Station and auto repair shop replacing residences across state Route 32.
With Dutch’s remaining under current ownership, the city planner said the land across the road likely won’t become another auto repair shop. But, she said, Smith might still propose a gas station and convenience store.
