Committee endorses Meijer driveway location, supports widening of Veterans Memorial Parkway access contingent on INDOT approval

Tippecanoe County’s Technical Transportation Committee on an informational vote endorsed the location of a new driveway onto Veterans Memorial Parkway for a proposed Meijer Supercenter near Concord Road, and supported widening an existing limited-access break from 60 feet to about 100 feet — contingent on final approval by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT).

The committee’s recommendation covers a 160,000-square-foot Meijer Supercenter with an M Express fuel station and convenience store, six fueling positions and a roughly 3,600-square-foot convenience building. The site plan also shows multiple commercial outlots along Concord Road, a large detention basin at the southeast corner of the property, and additional undeveloped property to the east that Meijer holds under contract.

Committee members and project representatives said the proposed widening would create a three-lane commercial drive with full access (left and right turns in and out) and a new traffic signal on Veterans Memorial Parkway. Project consultant Abby Jacobs of Wolpert described the site layout and said the developer is finalizing a traffic-impact study and related roadway improvements; she also said the plan includes pedestrian connections from the adjacent trail and from Concord Road to the store.

Committee staff and city representatives noted an offset of roughly 250 feet between the proposed driveway and the commercial drive across Veterans Memorial Parkway, whose current use is primarily a truck-maintenance facility. City staff said they prefer the driveway remain at the existing limited-access break (further east of the main intersection) and asked the developer to continue efforts to align drives across the street if possible; they said the existing break fits the proposed site plan and provides more room for minor site adjustments.

The committee and APC staff also discussed several traffic-control measures requested in comments to the developer, including a write-in/write-out configuration immediately north of the M Express building and a concrete median to prevent left turns that circumvent the intended traffic pattern. APC staff said the traffic-impact study will be updated to reflect those comments and to show the anticipated right-of-way dedication for Concord Road if future intersection widening is required.

INDOT staff present said a widening of an existing limited-access break is typically a process the department will not oppose but that federal funding and the classification of the change can require review by federal agencies and, in some cases, the attorney general’s office. Committee members asked staff to follow up with INDOT to confirm the exact approval steps and timeline.

Transit provisions were raised by committee members; the site plan does not currently show a bus stop or transit pad, and Meijer representatives said typical Meijer prototypes can accommodate bus stops if local transit authorities request them. The developer offered to coordinate with local transit and committee staff if a stop is desired.

The committee moved to “approve the location of the drive onto Veterans Memorial Parkway and to be supportive of widening the limited-access break by 40 feet if approved by INDOT.” The motion was adopted by voice vote; the committee recorded the motion as contingent on INDOT’s final decision.

The recommendation is advisory and directs staff to coordinate with INDOT and other agencies as the traffic-impact study is finalized and as any formal permitting or right-of-way actions proceed. The developer indicated schedule sensitivity tied to private contracting deadlines and asked staff to provide any INDOT timing information when available.