City Grants Easement to Discount Drug Mart

The city of Lakewood is sharing some land with the store on the city’s east end.

Lakewood City Council OK’d a measure on Monday that will pave the way for Discount Drug Mart to take control of a portion of city-owned land that will allow better access to the commercial property at 11900 Detroit Avenue.

But city officials said the move will also make the location a “more viable commercial property” should the drug store chain decide to do some renovations — or sell the land.

Dru Siley, the city’s director of planning and development, said that with 35 pubic parking spaces, the location is “grossly under-parked.”

A reconfigured property could alleviate those parking issues, he said.

The move would also give Drug Mart access to the rear of its building without first crossing city-owned land.

“What this easement does … is it contributes to the long-term viability of this property as a commercial property in Lakewood,” said Siley.

“Why now?” asked council president Brian Powers during council’s committee of the whole meeting on Monday.

“It’s truly is a wonder to me why we didn’t have this in the first place,” responded Law Director Kevin Butler. “If you look at the parcel there is no opportunity for Drug Mart to access the rear of their own property other than crossing another person’s land. It doesn’t make sense.”