Commission approves Melton Road gas station site plan with city utility and photometric contingencies

The Portage Planning Commission on Aug. 4 approved a site plan for a new gas station and convenience store at 6264 Melton Road, authorizing the developer to proceed after the commission attached contingencies including an updated photometric plan and city installation of utility mains for the site. The commission approved site-plan SP-05-25 for the property, which the petitioner described as the redevelopment of an existing Marathon station into a new convenience-store-and-fueling site at the northeast corner of Indiana Highway 249 and Melton Road/US 20. Developer representative Kevin Kouros of McMahon Associates and owner Max Singh said the project will rework the site’s frontage and utilities while coordinating with INDOT on entrances. Kouros told commissioners the city and developer are working to move overhead utilities underground and to finalize easements. He said the project will widen the sidewalk to six feet along the building frontage and that final photometric plans would be provided and would likely be a contingency of approval. Commissioners asked about site details including whether the station would operate 24 hours (the owner said yes), whether the convenience store would include hot food (the owner said grab-and-go items and a pizza franchise were planned, but not necessarily 24-hour hot food), and whether the site would include electric vehicle chargers (the owner said three or four chargers were planned on the north side). The owner also said the pumps would offer ethanol blends such as E15 and E85 “depending on availability.” He said security would include “35 to 40” cameras. During the motion the commission added a minor design request: bicycle racks to accommodate future local trail connections. The commission’s approval was conditioned on the developer providing an updated photometric plan acceptable to staff and connecting to sanitary and water mains that the city will install for the petitioner; the motion also noted the inclusion of bicycle racks as a minor plan element. The motion passed on a roll call vote with unanimous recorded support from commissioners present. Staff will review the photometric plan and confirm utility connections before permitting and construction.