LAFAYETTE, IN — New regulations aiming to curb the development of gas stations within the city gained unanimous approval Wednesday by the Tippecanoe County Area Plan Commission.
The vote came after Lafayette City Council’s passing of a resolution in March requesting the APC staff conduct a study of zoning use for gas stations within city limits.
APC Assistant Director Amanda Esposito said the new standards and restrictions will help in dealing with the “rapid proliferation and attendant over-saturation” of gas stations within city limits.
The unified zoning ordinance would limit gas stations only to property zoned NB, GB and HB. Current zoning permits gas stations on property zoned NB, NBU, GB, HB and CB.
Current zoning rules allow the leading edge of gas station canopies to be set back 10 feet from the right-of-way or property line. The amendment proposes a 30-foot setback between the right-of-way line and the leading edge of the canopy. Fuel canopies must also be located to the side of the primary structure.
New rules for gas stations would prohibit gas stations within 5,500 feet of a lot with an existing station. Gas stations and fueling stations would also be prohibited within 500 feet of a residentially zoned or residentially used lot.
The UZO also lays out requirements for a decommissioning plan for gas stations, fueling centers, truck stops, oil change businesses and car washes, something Esposito said has not been required in Tippecanoe County before but is common in other municipalities.
The UZO amendment would create several non-complying gas stations in Tippecanoe County, Esposito said, leading the APC ordinance committee to make a recommendation for waiving the typical $500 fee associated with a rezone request for the legally non-conforming gas stations. While going through the rezone process, there is no guarantee they would be granted approval.
The three gas stations that would become legally non-conforming if the amendment passes Lafayette City Council include the following:
The three gas stations will have until Sept. 17, 2026, to redeem their waived fee for a rezone request, APC attorney Eric Burns said after the unanimous approval of that language inclusion.
Lafayette city attorney Jacque Chosnek told APC voting members the city requested the amended ordinance in late winter, requesting their approval to push the UZO forward.
The UZO amendment will undergo a final vote by Lafayette City Council, West Lafayette City Council and the Tippecanoe County commissioners in their October meetings.
Jillian Ellison is a reporter for the Journal & Courier. She can be reached via email at jellison@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Tippecanoe County OKs new standards, tighter restrictions on gas stations in Lafayette
Reporting by Jillian Ellison, Lafayette Journal & Courier / Lafayette Journal & Courier
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