LKQ Zoning Petition Denied

(posted May 10)

LKQ suffered a major blow May 7 when the Metropolitan Development Commission unanimously voted to deny its rezoning petition to locate a car recycling facility near 3,000 homes on Indy's far westside.

City County Councilor Robert Lutz drew applause from crowd when he labeled the proposed car recycling as a junkyard that residents did not deserve to be exposed from an environmental and increased traffic stand point. Lutz said he does not oppose LKQ, just that location at 8100 and 8200 W. Morris Street. He was hoping the company could find a brownfield site that could accommodate their business' needs.

Jeff Scripture, the attorney representing LKQ, said the facility would be an improvement to the area with its landscape screening as he showed some blighted areas in the immediate neighborhood. LKQ wanted to develop agricultural land into an industrial use facility. The property is zoned I-3, but LKQ wanted to intensify the use with a car crushing facility. It would also operate a seven days a week retail operation for customers to buy parts.

Amy Worgan, representing the neighborhoods, said it was an "insult" to say the facility would be an improvement to the area. The residents know it is not a pristine area, but they don't need the additional environmental problems that come with a car recycling facility. She said the company has never offered to put in monitoring wells to see if there would be future leaching into neighborhood wells due to its operations. "LKQ is acting like that are doing us favor," she said, reminding the commission that the residential area was there first. LKQ plans to grow four fold from its Avon facility. "When do we stop making it worse for residents?" she said.

Wayne Township Assessor Michael McCormack said property values drop by ten percent just by saying the words car recycling facility. It does not even have to be built to have negative consequences to residential home values. McCormack said that he would be willing to work with the company to find a different location.

Wayne Township Board member Earl Salisbury suggested using the airport property and that the company could partner with Vincennes University's Aviation program to be considered an airport related business to receive tax breaks.

Commissioner Scott Keller said he live two blocks from a shredder at 311 Shelby Street  He said the dust mitigation plan does not work and that he did not want the residents on the west side to suffer like those on the east side. The lingering dust cloud is reason enough alone for him to vote no for LKQ's project.