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Brownsburg council advances major UDO overhaul, limits new gas stations, vape shops and certain storage
Summary
The Town of Brownsburg on March 26 approved amendments to its Unified Development Ordinance adding special-exception and distance restrictions on fueling centers, smoke/vape shops, tattoo parlors, vehicle equipment uses and some self-storage, aiming to curb clustering along key corridors while allowing large retail anchors to keep accessory fueling.
The Town of Brownsburg adopted a set of changes to its Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) on March 26 that place new location and separation limits on several commercial uses, including fueling centers with convenience stores, smoke and vape shops, tattoo parlors and some self-storage facilities, staff said.
"We're looking at those not being permitted within a quarter mile or 1,320 feet of any existing fueling station… and also, they're not permitted within 300 feet of a residential district," Elizabeth Williams, a town staff member presenting the ordinance update, told the council as she reviewed the proposal. The rules also would allow fueling stations as accessory uses only for large primary developments of at least 85,000 square feet, Williams said.
The changes add special-exception requirements and numerical buffers: smoke and vape shops would need to be at least 1,000 feet from another similar use and 300 feet from residential districts; tattoo shops would have a 1,000-foot separation requirement and the same 300-foot residential buffer; self-storage would be restricted as a permitted use in certain commercial (C2) frontages, allowed by special exception in C3 and permitted in industrial districts, with C3 locations capped at half an acre and an emphasis on vertical (enclosed) storage where appropriate.
Supporters said the amendments aim to prevent clustering that can impede the town’s goals for retail variety and gateway appearance. "When you put in a new signal and then you have 1, 2, 3, even 4 corners taken up by fueling centers…and all of the traffic movements, it kind of takes away the investment that the town put in to the improvement," Williams said.
But several residents and council members urged caution. Resident John Raybelle argued the draft lumps a wide range of businesses into restrictive categories and could harm long-standing local operators. "These places when they're built they cost millions…So I question why those were thrown into the bucket and how it was decided," Raybelle said during public comment.
A council member also raised a broader policy question about fairness, saying the draft could be seen as "putting ourselves in a position where we're picking winners and losers." Council members emphasized the UDO remains amendable and that special exceptions would allow businesses to present individual cases.
The council approved moving forward with the ordinance readings and final action as presented on March 26; staff said the UDO is a "living" document that can be revisited if economic conditions or vacancy patterns warrant. The ordinance text names specific corridors (Green Street, SR 267/Main Street, SR 136/Northfield Drive and Ronald Reagan Parkway) where some uses would be restricted, and it preserves legal nonconforming status for existing businesses while subjecting expansions to special-exception review.
Next steps: the UDO amendments (Ordinance 2026-01) were advanced as presented; council members said they expect to revisit and refine the rules as community feedback and vacancy data become available.
