Vigo County planners approve rezoning request for West Terre Haute salvage yard with floodplain conditions

The Vigo County Area Planning Commission approved rezoning UZO425 to change the property at 3001 West Natural Drive in West Terre Haute from RS (single-family residential) to M2 (heavy industrial) to allow operation of a salvage yard owned by Left Lane Transportation, planning staff said.

Jared, an Area Planning staff member, told the commission the salvage operation began without local or state permits and has since expanded. He said the site is identified as suburban residential in the land‑use map and is surrounded mainly by agricultural and suburban residential uses to the northwest, east, west and south.

"They would like to rezone it to M2 heavy industrial for the proposed use as a salvage yard," Jared said. He reported the property lies partly within the AE flood zone and the AE regulatory floodway and outlined conditions the commission attached to its favorable recommendation.

The commission required that any waste storage or fuel tanks be located in the AE fringe, elevated and anchored, and that semi trailers on site be licensed and mobile. Jared said the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) has stipulated that no single vehicle may remain in the regulatory floodway for more than 30 days. He cited Indiana Code 14-28-1 as requiring an IDNR permit or letter of authorization before any construction, excavation, filling or other floodway obstruction work begins.

Jared told the panel there are currently two drive cuts but it is unknown which were existing and which are new. He said road cut permits and their design and location must be approved by the appropriate jurisdiction. Public use areas are presently dirt, and the commission’s conditions require hard surfacing of all public use areas or a variance approved by the Vigo County Board of Zoning Appeals; a site plan showing adequate hard-surface parking, including ADA stalls, must be submitted.

The commission also required that the owner obtain any applicable state salvage‑yard licensure and that a landscape and buffer plan for screening be submitted and approved. Large sections of the property are platted as rights-of-way, which staff said would impede full utilization and future development; staff recommended the owner seek vacating those platted streets and alleys.

Planning staff and the county asked the owner to follow any IDNR stipulations for activities in special flood hazard areas. Jared noted the group located a state "Rule 6" permitting provision (referenced as 7 IAC 15-6 in the meeting) that may impose additional stormwater requirements administered at the state level; meeting participants said they would follow up to clarify whether the provision is administered by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) or by IDNR.

An unidentified owner representative for Left Lane Transportation asked whether a permit could be issued that day. Staff said such permits are not issued by the commission and that they would follow up with Marcus Mauer, city engineer, and provide contact information to the owner. The owner was told that this follow-up does not affect the rezoning decision.

A motion to approve the rezoning with the stated conditions was made and seconded; the commission recorded audible "ayes" and approved the action. The motion and approval carry a list of required state and local permits and site improvements that staff said must be obtained before development or construction activity begins on the site.

The commission’s action was a favorable recommendation with conditions; the record does not specify the names of the members who moved or seconded the motion or the individual vote names, only audible affirmative votes during the meeting.