Area board approves Walmart parking reduction, allows on-site gas station with traffic commitments

The Tippecanoe County Area Board of Zoning Appeals on March 26 approved a variance to reduce the required parking ratio at the Walmart site at Sagamore Parkway and Cumberland Avenue to allow a gas station and convenience store, and attached commitments for traffic and pedestrian improvements.

Staff opposed the variance, citing pedestrian safety concerns in the main parking aisle and potential conflicts created by shoppers crossing the lot. "Staff is recommending denial," APC planner Nathan McBurnett told the board during the hearing.

The variance reduces the parking standard previously granted by BZA 2102 from 0.8 spaces per 200 square feet to 0.7 spaces per 200 square feet. The site currently provides 899 parking spaces and the petitioner’s plan for the gas station would lower the net total to 804 spaces. The board voted 4–2 to grant the variance; six ballots were cast.

Why it matters: opponents told the board the site sits adjacent to Celery Bog, a sensitive wetland and recreation area, and that a new gas station increases environmental risk. "Approving this rezoning variance to allow a gas station near the protective Celery Bog wildlife area is both unnecessary and environmentally hazardous," said Sage Locmano, a doctoral student in environmental and ecological engineering at Purdue, during public comment.

Petitioner Dylan Dempsey of Carlson Consulting Engineers emphasized planned traffic mitigations and said Walmart would construct the sidewalk the staff requested. "Walmart would be more than happy to do that," Dempsey said. City engineer Natalia Bartos told the board the city supports the proposed signalization and pedestrian improvements on Cumberland Avenue "in the interim," while funding is sought for a future widening project.

Board action and commitments: the board re-adopted two commitments previously discussed at an earlier hearing (vehicular and pedestrian traffic modifications) and added a requirement that a sidewalk be installed along the eastern access as delineated in the staff report. Board members clarified the final plan must be approved by the City of West Lafayette before AP C staff sign-off; the petitioner confirmed the sidewalk and traffic improvements will be included in the final submittal required to demonstrate implementation.

Opposition and mitigation requests: speakers urged denial because of proximity to Celery Bog and existing station density in West Lafayette. Locmano cited state LUST (leaking underground storage tank) listings for nearby stations and urged stronger spill-prevention controls if the board approved the project. The petitioner acknowledged they could not address detailed environmental mitigations at this hearing but said the site would reduce impervious area overall and that some green space would be added.

Procedural note: the APC staff report and the Unified Zoning Ordinance, the Comprehensive Plan and related documents were entered as evidence for the hearing, per the board's standard practice.

What’s next: the petitioner must submit final construction documents showing the committed traffic and pedestrian improvements; city approvals for curb cuts and signal work are required before the plan moves forward.

Votes at a glance: BZA 2178 — parking variance to allow gas station: 6 ballots cast; 4 in favor, 2 opposed. Outcome: approved; commitments added.