By Pamela Lewis Dolan/Post-Tribune staff writer
CROWN POINT — Agreeing that good design needs to be a citywide mandate, the Plan Commission decided to expand the boundaries of the Interstate 65 Corridor Development Guidelines.
In a 6-0 vote Monday night, the Plan Commission passed the guidelines with little change, except for the I-65 design standards will now be called the “Crown Point, Indiana Development Guidelines.” The guidelines will now apply to all undeveloped or redeveloped land in the city, with few exceptions.
But it was the items that did not change that had developers sparring with city planner John LaMotte of The Lakota Group, a consulting firm hired to draft the guidelines.
Lauth Development Group, waiting for the design standards to pass the City Council before it gets site plan approval for a large shopping complex at I-65 and U.S. 231, took issue with two major items in the proposal.
Lauth’s attorney Richard Anderson called the guidelines for private development “reverse condemnation.”
At issue was the requirement to have no more than 60 percent of parking located in front of a big box retail center. The guidelines suggest the remaining 40 percent be placed to the sides.
Larry Evinger, who was audibly frustrated with the proposed requirements, said the guidelines were “asking national retailers to do something ... that has never been done.”
To force a store to put 40 percent of its parking on the side, “doesn’t make sense to me,” Evinger said, adding that people feel safer parked in the front, near the store entrance .
Also at issue was the requirement that at least 60 percent to 75 percent of commercial building facades be glass. The requirement was lowered from 75 percent.
Evinger said the requirements were not reasonable or functional and challenged LaMotte to show pictures of similar projects.
“I don’t think the glass Kroger store of the 50’s is coming back,” Anderson quipped to LaMotte.
“I’ll show you pictures all night long,” LaMotte said, adding that the proposed guidelines were in-step with modern retail development.
LaMotte accused Lauth of paying special attention to the details of its city center portion of the development, but ignoring the big box portion of the project.
The Plan Commission passed the guidelines with a 6-0 vote. The matter will now go before the City Council for a final vote next month.
As to where the requirements left Lauth and its site plan approval request scheduled for next month, Anderson said he and his clients will have to discuss the matter further.