Bargersville neighbors packed into town hall Monday to oppose a Meijer grocery store and gas station proposed at Smokey Row Road and State Road 135.
While the proposed 75,000-square-foot Meijer store is permitted by the 13.6-acre parcel’s current zoning, Meijer is seeking a special exception from the Bargersville Board of Zoning Appeals to build a mExpress gas station and convenience store on the site. The convenience store would be 3,453 square feet, with 23 customer parking spaces and six fuel pumps, town documents show.
A special exception essentially means the town’s zoning ordinance does not permit a gas station by right in this location, but it could be possible depending on the project, explained Joe Csikos, Bargersville development director. So when these come up, the BZA is tasked with determining if the project fits with the area.
Information about the proposal had been circulating online after people who had been notified of it asked neighbors to rally against the gas station. The plea worked, and dozens of nearby neighbors who live along State Road 135 and Smokey Row attended, including several people from the Somerset subdivision whose properties are directly adjacent to the development.
After hearing the neighbors’ traffic safety concerns stemming from the gas station, the BZA decided to continue the special exception for the gas station to their October meeting. At that time, the developer expects to have results available from the traffic study on the project. BZA members unanimously decided they needed to see the results before making their decision.
About the project
The Meijer store portion of the project would be smaller than a typical Meijer store, offering only groceries, a pharmacy, a pharmacy drive-thru and an online order pickup area, said Brian Smallwood of Woolpert Engineers, a civil engineering firm working with Meijer. The store would be in addition to two Meijer supercenter locations already operating in Johnson County, at 150 S. Marlin Drive, Greenwood and 2389 N. Morton Street, Franklin.
This store concept is a new one for Meijer and it would be one of only a handful of small-format stores that the chain has opened so far. The first two are in the Detroit suburbs and another is planned to be built in Noblesville, according to Indianapolis Business Journal.
The mExpress convenience store was requested to potentially be open 24 hours per day, though Smallwood clarified that it would only be the fuel pumps that are open 24 hours. If the market demands it, the gas station could have an attendant 24 hours a day, but the full convenience store would keep the same hours as the Meijer store, Smallwood said.
The gas station would be in front of the Meijer store and abutting State Road 135. There would be access to it from entrances on Smokey Row Road and State Road 135, with a traffic signal planned to be installed at the entrance that will line up with the entrance to the Kroger store across the highway, plans show.
The Smokey Row entrance would not be signalized, but will likely be right in, right out only, Smallwood said. A median would also likely be installed from the State Road 135 intersection to the area near the Smokey Row entrance to improve safety, he said.
Exact details for the entrances and road safety improvements are still pending completion of the traffic study, as the traffic study is not yet complete, Smallwood said.
Safety concerns
So many people turned out to the meeting that about a dozen stood up in the back of the room after all seats were filled, a rare occurrence for a BZA meeting. Most of those who spoke came to share their concerns about traffic safety and congestion, while others were concerned about light, noise, smell and the environmental impact of a gas station.
Neighbors from the Tremont and Somerset subdivisions were particularly concerned because of their proximity to the development. They noted traffic is already congested in the area and they struggle to leave their neighborhoods during most hours of the day.
“People are going to go ahead and try to make it and I’m afraid we’re going to have a serious injury,” Tremont resident Linda Handy said. “In addition, the Prince of Peace United Church of Christ is on the corner, and there is a preschool there. And so there’s traffic going in and out there every day with children. This, to me, is a real, tremendous concern.”
Tremont homeowners were additionally concerned the proposed median on Smokey Row would block off access to their neighborhood. However, Csikos informed them the median would stop before their street.
He additionally said the median is also likely to be installed even without this project. That’s because it is being considered as part of an Indiana Department of Transportation project on State Road 135 that is currently set for 2028.
Somerset homeowner Tina Falks asked the BZA to consider today’s traffic, but also the future when considering the safety of the intersection.
“Bargersville is a tremendously growing community and if you’re not planning for the future, whatever study they’re performing today on today’s roadwork, is going to be null and void in five months,” she said.
Nysa Hogue, a Somerset homeowner who is an environmental engineer, pointed out environmental issues that could stem from having a gas station near homes. For example, underground fuel tanks could leak and seep into drainage ponds at Somerset, where some residents fish.
“I understand … he’s going to look at the Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan and all that, but I also think there needs to be a holistic environmental assessment done,” Hogue said.
What’s next
The special exception will come up again at the BZA’s October meeting, with additional public notices required to inform neighbors when it will be back on the agenda.
Until then the traffic study will continue. While the study might not be completely finalized by October, there will be additional information about what Meijer would have to do to make entrances to the store and gas station safe, Smallwood said.
In a statement, a Meijer spokesperson said the continuance is all part of the process.
“Meijer is very interested in adding an mExpress to better serve our customers at this proposed location,” the spokesperson said. “We understand this is all part of the process and look forward to meeting with the Board of Zoning Appeals once we have the results of the traffic study. We appreciate the interest in the project and look forward to being a part of the community.”
A Daily Journal inquiry about whether the store would continue without the gas station if it were denied was not answered by press time.
