Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Rezone topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Plan Commission backs rezoning for small ice‑cream shop in Whitestown’s Legacy Corridor with conditions
Summary
The Whitestown Plan Commission unanimously recommended rezoning two lots on Bower Street to UB for a walkable ice‑cream parlor with small‑batch production, subject to use limits (restaurant/retail only), exclusion of drive‑throughs and neighborhood‑sensitive site conditions after residents raised parking, traffic and noise concerns.
The Whitestown Plan Commission voted 7–0 to forward a favorable recommendation to the Town Council for a zone map change (PC26‑001‑ZMC) to allow a family‑run ice‑cream parlor and small‑batch production on two lots in the Legacy Corridor.
Petitioners Kevin Steelely (Terasite Development) and Kirsty Hileman told the commission the business would be designed to feel residential in scale, that on‑site manufacturing is a very small‑batch process and that retail hours would be limited to daytime production and afternoon/evening service (roughly 3 p.m.–8:30 p.m., extending to about 9 p.m. in summer). Hileman said the owners are willing to work with neighbors on delivery parameters, privacy fencing, pedestrian access and other conditions.
The project drew repeated objections during the public hearing from nearby residents, who said the site is surrounded by narrow residential streets, lacks sidewalks, and would add traffic and parking pressure. “I’m opposed… due to the fact that I don’t think we need more businesses in our residential neighborhoods and the traffic on that part of town,” said Randy Clemens, a long‑term resident. An email read into the record from Sharon Fisk also raised concerns about ongoing late‑night music and outdoor speakers at a nearby establishment and worried additional businesses would erode neighborhood character.
Staff recommended approval, stating the proposed UB designation and the petitioner’s concept align with the Legacy Corridor vision and provide opportunities for small storefronts. Commissioners discussed limiting future uses in the UB district so the rezoning permits this ice‑cream/retail concept while excluding higher‑impact uses. The motion that passed would advance the rezoning with conditions limiting permitted uses to restaurant (Class B/A style) and retail sales, explicitly excluding drive‑through services and encouraging neighborhood‑sensitive construction standards.
The recommendation now goes to Whitestown Town Council for final action.
What’s next: The council will consider the rezoning with the conditions the commission recommended; if council approves, the petitioner must return for concept/development approvals that will resolve detailed site design, parking and buffering.
