There’s a good discussion to be had over the role of Wheeling’s planning commission following this month’s meeting. Is it the commission’s responsibility to worry primarily about how a potential business might affect residents and traffic in any given area, or is it the commission’s role simply to ensure a business fits within the zoning requirements of a property, or a mix of both?

The issue is back in focus after two businesses — Wash-Rite, a car wash business, and the Eye Care Center of Wheeling — presented preliminary site plans for review by the planning commission. Both businesses are seeking to locate on Mount de Chantal Road, just west of the off-ramp from Interstate 70 east.

The property in question — a small sliver of acreage between Wheeling’s Heritage Trail and Mount de Chantal Road — currently is zoned C2 commercial, a designation that would allow either business. Some planning commission members expressed concern over traffic already in that area, noting adding new businesses — even if they’re property zoned — will only make it worse.

“Obviously one of the biggest concerns that we have (is) Mount de Chantal … is a two-lane road,” said Councilman and planning commissioner Ben Seidler. “I take my kids to school every morning, and if I get there in the 8 a.m. range, that exit ramp is literally at a dead stop from Washington Avenue all the way back to the previous on-ramp by Kroger.”

He’s right. That exit does get backed up during shift changes at WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital. That typically lasts for 30-40 minutes, a few times each day.

But is that inconvenience enough to stop a business from locating in a properly zoned space? Or is it enough to tell a land owner that a group of appointed — not elected — board members will always control your property’s future?

Planning commission members did, at the end of their meeting, OK the preliminary site plan review for the eye care center while denying the site plan for the car wash due to insufficient information. It will be interesting to see how this proceeds.

It’s somewhat hard to understand how Wheeling, with a lack of available land and a need for continued investment, can be business unfriendly in any manner — particularly for sites that already meet the zoning requirements for a business. City Council should reconsider the amount of authority it has granted to the planning commission and instead, as the city’s elected leaders, be accountable and make these decisions.