Circle K's Petition Continued to March 5

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BZA members Michael Simonson, David Smith, Charlie Powell, Brian McKay and Ernest Williams are sworn in for this year's term.

Photo by Linda Karn

(posted Jan 3)

The Speedway Board of Zoning Appeals approved of Circle K's request to continue its variance petition to March 5.

Insight Engineering President Don Fisher told the BZA that information on the design of the future intersection at High School and Crawfordsville Roads differs between INDOT and the Speedway Redevelopment Commission, making it difficult for Circle K to decide whether to stay at its current location at 25th and High School Road. Fisher said Circle K would like to have additional time because it did not want to invest in a site that may have only two years of functional life because of road changes or an opportunity for something to work better for the town of Speedway.

Circle K appeared before the BZA to request 10 foot set backs instead of 20 feet to reconfigure the gas station at High School Road and Crawfordsville Road.

For now, the issue of changing the set back requirements has become a smaller issue since the last meeting.
Circle K's intent is to demolish the gas station and car wash and to replace it with a new pumping station and convenience store. Circle K was not aware that it was located in a redevelopment area until the last BZA meeting when SRC President Scott Harris requested a continuance.

He informed the board that he would wanted to work with Circle K for a "potential" better location due to the future redevelopment of that area. Harris told the BZA that the intersection of 25th and High School Road would probably change to relieve the congested area. INDOT's Accelerate 465 project is reconfiguring the interchange where I-74 no longer has a direct access into Speedway. These traffic pattern changes could significantly impact Circle K.

INDOT Public Information Officer Will Wingfield said,"INDOT currently has no plans to acquire any of the 2450 N. High School Road property."

Wingfield also explained that misinformation can happen from the INDOT's website even though the I-74 and I-465 interchange design has not currently changed. He said that confusion exists because INDOT still has the dismissed plans included with the current interchange designs on the website. People often click on the wrong link thinking the dismissed plan is the current plan.