Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Discussion of Proposed DG Market Continued to Next Month

Twin Lakes area resident Regina Holzhausen, an attorney, raises objections last night to the Shelbyville Board of Zoning Appeals regarding proposed construction of a DG Market store. | photo by KRISTIAAN RAWLINGS

BELOW: A proposed DG Market store at Twin Lakes Blvd. and E. McKay Road, graphic rendering and draft site plan provided here, will continue to be discussed at next month’s BZA meeting.

Just like Facebook drew it up: the Dollar General Market discussion will continue for another month. The petition to build a DG Market, debated on Let It Out Shelbyville in recent days, was continued last night by the Shelbyville Board of Zoning Appeals to give the staff time to review several matters raised over the two-hour session.

The continuance followed lengthy comments from residents and representatives of the petitioner, Carmel-based Second Circle Investments, LLC, which is requesting a special exception to build a 10,640-square-foot store at the northeast corner of E. McKay Road and Twin Lakes Blvd. 

At the onset, Adam Rude, city planning director, noted the petition was in regards to private development. 

“The project itself was not sought after by the city,” Rude said. “This is not something where we own the land or we sold the land or are developing it. We are simply here to impose standards that are in the ordinance. Two private parties entered into an agreement to sell and buy land, and that happened outside of the city’s purview.” 

Briane House, attorney representing the developer, said the $1 million to $2 million development is an improvement from what could go in without any exemption requests.

“I say this not to be unduly pejorative with this crowd, but I think it's important: Be careful what you wish for,” House said. 

The proposed DG Market offers an expanded selection of meats, fruits and vegetables compared to a standard Dollar General.

“If you have been in one of these stores, you'll find that it has more of the feel of a grocery store rather than the Dollar General convenience store,” House said.

It also is larger, exceeding the 10,000-square-foot limit currently allowed on the lot’s zoning.

“You can build a 10,000-square-foot store (on the property) next week,” House said. “If we wanted to construct a Dollar General Store, we could simply go and pull permits tomorrow and be on our way.” He later added, “(Residents’) concerns really in a technical sense aren’t with this project. It's with the zoning decisions that have been made in the past and are in place today.”

He said the developer was committed to exceeding city ordinances, including bricking the entire building. “All I want to do is add 600-and-some square feet so we can build a better, more upscale store.”

The developer said approximately two semi trucks per week would visit the location, with various smaller product trucks stopping during normal business hours. Despite “No Truck” signs on McKay Road, city officials said trucks visiting nearby commercial properties, such as a flooring store, are permitted.

“The ‘No Trucks’ is to detour through-traffic across town,” Rude said.

Several nearby residents, who submitted letters, spoke to the board and spilled out into the upstairs City Hall lobby, were not convinced, sharing a range of concerns such as traffic routing through the neighborhood and semi trucks potentially missing the turn and needing to travel down McKay Road.

Nearby resident Regina Holzhausen, an attorney by trade speaking on behalf of the 32 Senior Court condo owners, said she was grateful for the planning staff’s recommended stipulations, but still had objections, including the property’s proposed entrance off Twin Lakes Boulevard and access to the adjacent undeveloped lot.

“How are they going to access that? Bush Drive? That’s taking it further into our subdivision, more detrimental impact to Twin Lakes homeowners,” Holzhausen said, calling for access to be off McKay Road.

House later said DG Market also preferred McKay Road access, but Rude said that a curb cut on McKay Road would conflict with the turning lane to Progress Parkway.

Holzhausen was not convinced.

“Businesses on Broadway from Harrison out to the interstate have entrances located very close to intersections and to each other,” she said. “There's no plausible reason to place the entrance within the subdivision.”

Tyler Comstock, a civil site engineer who lives in Twin Lakes, said residents were not against development. “Our biggest issue is, we have a problem with this development.” 

Comstock expressed concerns about he and his wife raising their three small children in a potentially busy area. “It's the local government’s number one priority to take care of the well-being and safety of its own citizens, not outside businesses,” he said.

The current zoning ordinance already allows for a maximum 1,500 vehicles per day and limits store hours to 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mr. House said a typical DG Market would attract a small fraction of the permitted traffic volume and hours would likely be 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Proposed restrictions include prohibiting outdoor storage, limiting freestanding lights to be four feet tall and no light to exceed the property line of any other property. There will also be limits to outdoor display of merchandise.

Following several other matters raised, such as the possible need for a nearby four-way stop, limiting the hours of operation as early as 8 p.m. and hours of truck deliveries, Rude requested time for his department to consult with city departments and make recommendations at the March meeting.

House said that while DG Market was amenable to numerous stipulations, he disagreed with residents’ stated feelings it was already “a done deal.”

“I’m confident that’s not the case,” he said, citing the “extensive discussion and compromise” that has characterized his client’s petition process. “This is not a done deal. If it was a done deal, (the developer) wouldn't pay me for the time and effort I put into this, and we wouldn’t try to accommodate these concerns.”

The continuance was unanimously approved.

In other business, the BZA unanimously approved Deborah Hatcher to park a recreational vehicle at 53 East Mechanic St. for up to a year. Hatcher, whose Marietta Road home was destroyed by fire last month, is living with family while a new home is being built. According to Hatcher, a secondary sewer, water and electrical connection exist at the Mechanic St. property, installed by a previous owner. The RV will be parked off-street behind the house facing an alley, out of public view, the petitioner said.

Also, in its annual election of officers, the board re-appointed Chris Clark as chair and elected Vince Bradburn as vice-chair. Other members of the board include Nicole Terrell, Doug Cassidy and Wade Lewis.

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SWEET TREATS

Linne’s Bakery employee Jada Patrick displays a pan of treats for today. Sugar cookies from the Linne’s ovens on St. Valentine's Day pair well with roses. | photo by JACK BOYCE

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NOTEBOOK:

• The Shelby County Redevelopment Commission on Monday approved agreements and resolutions regarding four Sunbeam Development Corporation “spec” warehouses to be built in Moral Township near the existing Five Below facility. The agreement in essence provides that Sunbeam will fund up to $7.9 million of public infrastructure, including lighting and landscaping of the roundabout, drainage improvements, reimbursing the purchase of a new fire truck to Moral Township Volunteer Fire Department, reconstruction of CR 850 West south of the roundabout and water, sanitary, and gas extensions south on CR 850 West. Sunbeam will purchase the bonds and they will be repayable through a TIF (Tax Increment Financing) sharing agreement with the county. The agreement absolves the county from risk, and repayment is based on solely on Sunbeam's development performance. The landscaping, lighting and interim drainage improvement will begin this spring. Road and utility improvements will begin as Sunbeam develops their project. In other business, the board re-appointed Kyle Baker as president, Tim Barrick as vice-president and elected Nathan Runnebohm as secretary.

• Burglary was reported in the 900 block of Hale Road.

• EDITOR’S NOTE: Shelby County Commissioner candidate J.T. Doan asked that The Addison Times list his college degree and major. Yesterday’s edition noted that Doane received a degree from the University of Southern Indiana, but did not list it was a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Doane also asked The Addison Times to list more of his community involvement activities, and yesterday’s post was updated accordingly. The Addison Times does not publish candidate media releases verbatim. That said, we are happy to include more information if the candidate feels critical details were omitted.

• NATIONAL NEWS: To be interested in politics is to permanently lose, or at least that’s what Americans think: 71 percent of polled respondents say their side has been losing more often than winning, while just 25 percent say they’ve been winning more often than losing, a phenomenon of perception that appears regardless of whether the polled individual is on the right or the left. (Pew Research Center/Numlock)

• The Addison Times publishes essential news and historical content to build our Shelby County community, and is free thanks to the generosity of supporters. Those who donate a minimum of $5 a month (or $60 one-time) receive an exclusive quarterly Addison Times magazine as an appreciation gift.

• Want the daily edition read to you? Struggling with your email provider filtering out your local news? The Addison Times Substack app will solve those challenges!

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This Day in Shelby County History

2014: Canfield Dental Care announced they would open March 2014 on East State Road 44.

2004: A traffic counter was placed at Lee Boulevard and East State Road 44 to see if a new stoplight should be installed. An existing traffic light was in place at East State Road 44 and Progress Road, but as more businesses were built near Ritter’s Frozen Custard shop, a second light might be needed.

1994: Tammy Cordrey and Darren Stacy were married at Raindrops-N-Roses flower shop, 530 E. Broadway. Cordrey’s aunt and uncle, Herman and Patricia, owned the shop. Cordrey said she had always wanted to get married on Valentine’s Day.

1984: Shelbyville Police Chief Bob Nolley said local residents should be wary of firms offering in-home filtering systems designed to rid water of chemical contaminants. He told the board of works, “since we’ve had the water problem, just about every hustler in the country has been heading for Shelbyville.”

Central Indiana Communications met with the Morristown Town Board to discuss bringing cable TV to Morristown by October.

1974: The Shelbyville Board of Works took under advisement a bid to remodel the front end of First Station No. 1 on W. Broadway. The bid to remove a support pillar and replace old overhead doors with a single large overhead door had been above the cost estimate.

Triton Central High School junior David Crawford was crowned the school’s first basketball homecoming king.

1964: SHS sophomore Mickey Chambers was chosen REC Sweetheart for 1964 at the annual Sweetheart Dance at the youth center. Nancy Montgomery, 1963 Sweetheart, and SCUFFY Chairman Carl McNeely presented Mickey with a trophy and a large box of candy.

1954: A truck loaded with new autos struck and damaged the Winchester Bridge south of Shelbyville on State Road 9. The southwest end of the bridge was propped up with timbers following the latest of many crashes into the structure.

Jim Slaton, 120 N. Vine St., rolled the first perfect 300 in Shelby Recreation Alley history.

1944: Indiana’s Wendell Willkie formally announced his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination. Willkie had run unsuccessfully in 1940 against President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Ophelia Penick, 48, who had taught at Shelbyville’s Booker T. Washington school for 30 years, died of a cerebral hemorrhage. Penick was a Shelbyville High School, Indiana State Teachers College and Butler University graduate. She was a member of Second Baptist Church.

1934: Dr. O.F. Fuqua thought his car had been stolen as he left a meeting at the Methodist church, The Republican reported. “Then he happened to remember that he had his car washed, which accounted for being unable to recognize it,” the paper said.

Mary Jane Sanders, who was babysitting Judge Emmert’s children, went out onto the judge’s roof to retrieve a toy one of the children had thrown outside. When she climbed out, the children closed and locked the window and laughed at Sanders’ efforts to re-enter, The Republican said. “Finally her shouts attracted the attention of a neighbor boy who obtained aid and finally prevailed upon the two playful children to unlock the doors (oh yes, they had taken the further precaution of locking the doors) and let him fly to the aid of the beauty in distress,” the paper said.

1924: A.M. Engle had received a box of oranges and grape fruit from a friend in Florida, The Republican reported.

Shelbyville would be the opponent on the night Martinsville opened their new gym, school officials announced. Shelbyville would receive 1,200 tickets to sell, leaving the remainder of 5,000 to the home team.

1914: A Ray’s Crossing man was taken to the “insane hospital at Indianapolis” by Deputy Sheriff James Whissman, The Republican said. “The man was causing a great deal of trouble and it was necessary to handcuff him.”

A fire in the Auditor’s office at the courthouse was caused when a lit match was thrown into a waste basket by a cigar smoker. Dr. V.L. Hodges, who happened to be in the office, noticed the fire and extinguished it.

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OBITUARIES

None today