Remodeling of the new Dairy Queen at 552 Indian Boundary Rd. is under way, but how many signs the business and a second one in the same building can have goes before the Chesterton Board of Zoning Appeals on Thursday.

The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. at the town hall, 790 Broadway. A public hearing will be conducted on the petition.

Owners Scott Pendleton and Michelle Pendleton are requesting 12 variances from town code for the expanded-menu DQ Grill & Chill restaurant based on the number, size and location of the signs. Signage for a proposed Margie’s Cafe in the former Bert’s Bagels portion of the building is included in the petition.

The Pendletons also own the DQ at 1249 Broadway; it will remain open.

One factor discussed at a March 27 preliminary hearing on the Indian Boundary signage is to what extent, if any, the original plat approved for Indian Oak Mall over 30 years ago might have on the current sign request. That matter was to be researched for Thursday’s meeting.

Also on the BZA’s agenda is a public hearing for Craig Jones and Rachael Jones, who want to construct a new auto machine shop and offices at the southwest corner of 10th Street and Broadway. An adjacent block building owned by the Lorenz family, where Jones has rented and operated his business for several years, will not be torn down for the new construction.

A use variance is needed to allow a machine shop on real estate partially zoned residential, and three additional variances are sought to reduce the setback from 10th Street, to increase the percentage of lot coverage and to allow eight rather than nine parking spaces as required by town code.

Prior to the public hearing a preliminary hearing will be conducted for Gary Steindler. He seeks a variance to increase lot coverage from 30 percent to 39 percent at 2241 Westwood Lane in the Crocker area. His written application also lists an additional variance to allow 4 feet of planned deck to extend into the side yard. If the petition is in order, a public hearing will be set.

The agenda states that a pending petition from Luke Oil to use an existing 70-foot-tall Shell sign on Indian Boundary so it can advertise a proposed Starbucks at that location has been withdrawn. A second variance was sought to erect a monument sign around the base of the high-rise.

At the Feb. 28 BZA meeting Luke Oil representatives said Starbucks has indicated it won’t occupy part of Luke’s planned commercial building there without use of the high-rise sign. Whether that’s still Starbucks position isn’t known. BZA members had stated it would have been an uphill battle to convince them the 70-foot sign should be reused.

Posted 4/22/2008