Path clear for new Home Depot site
Published 12:00 am Friday, April 5, 2002
With all of the wrangling over development of Gary Boulevard now a thing of the past, there was no vocal opposition Thursday as plans for the areas first retail tenant were approved by the Warren County City-County Planning Commission. Home Depots detailed development plans including strict setbacks, detailed buffer areas and lighting and sound restrictions were unanimously approved.The approved binding elements came as a result of negotiations with about 70 residents of the nearby Eastland Park Subdivision following a failed lawsuit against the planning in 1999 to prevent the 120-acre Vernon Gary Farm from being rezoned for commercial development. Home Depots building plans exceed the requirements in an agreement between developers and the neighborhood in every case, said Brian Shirley, a landscape architect for the planning commission. The setback requirements from Eastland Park required 80 feet and theyre providing 87 feet, Shirley said. The height requirements (of) not more than 35 feet of height within 150 feet of Eastland Park Subdivision, the proposed building is only 25 feet, Plans include both landscape and fencing buffers between the store and residences, downward lighting in order to provide a minimal amount of light trespassing, no outdoor speakers will be within 200 feet of the subdivision and more than the required number of parking spaces, he said. With Wal-Mart anchoring the Campbell Lane shopping district, which includes Lowes and Target, developer Kenny Nealy looks for the same type of development to evolve on Gary Boulevard. Gary Boulevard is going to be a main artery, going to be, and with the building of Home Depot, we feel like it will be a catalyst to draw other retailers and within the next few months or year, you should be able to see a lot of growth out there in retail, Nealy said. He also expects to announce another major retailer in the next 60 to 90 days. While no one spoke in opposition to the plan Thursday, developer Nealy said he expects neighbors to keep an eye on construction to make sure the restrictions are observed. The neighborhood, and rightfully so, wants to make sure and monitor that we are going to do what we said we would do, which we fully intend to do, Nealy said. Construction could begin as soon as May with a planned opening by Christmas, according to Rodd Hansen with Greenberg Farrow Architecture Engineering Development of Arlington Heights, Ill., who represented Home Depot Thursday. In other action, the commission approved:Amendments to development plans by Baker and Hilliard related to the Hillview Mills commercial and residential subdivisions on 138 acres at Russellville and Blue Level roads. Developers will be allowed up to 60 percent of front-loaded garages. The change increased the maximum amount of front-loaded garages from the original 25 percent, because of a lack of side streets and rear alleyways and the actual configuration of the area, said Andy Gillies, executive director of the planning commission. Rezoning requests by executors of the Lucille Page Estate 2147 New Cut Road on the southeast corner at H.E. Johnson Road to change five acres from agricultural to residential and by Realtor Neal Turner to rezone 1107 Fairview Ave. near Meadowlawn Ave. from single-family residential to neighborhood business was approved. Turner said he plans on opening a small neighborhood-type business like an insurance office or decorator shop in the area, which recently has seen significant growth in neighborhood businesses.