The Porter County Plan Commission will meet this Wednesday, July 11, at 6:30 p.m. but will not be considering petitions from either Family Express Corp. or St. Andrew’s Development to include “automotive” in the committed uses for the moderate commercial zoned area next to the new hospital area.

Plan Commission Executive Director Robert Thompson told the Chesterton Tribune this morning that both Family Express and St. Andrew’s have put in continuances until an uncertain date.

Originally set to be heard by the commission on June 27, Family Express intended to request amendments to the zoning for the purpose of constructing a smaller version of its colonial-style convenience store seen in other developments like Sand Creek and Aberdeen.

Family Express CEO and President Gus Olympidis said categorizing it strictly as automotive is not entirely accurate since unleaded, mid-grade and premium fuel are only three of the 8,000 items the stores carry.

The proposed store would be located on a land parcel now owned by Family Express at 77 East U.S. Highway 6 which abuts the 103-acre hospital campus.

The plan commission ended up canceling the June 27 meeting for the commission to look further at the request when it was discovered that the planners would have final say over the case, not the county commissioners.

On the agenda are two cases under old business. The first is a request for secondary plat approval for the 41-acre Timberland Farms subdivision on the east side of Meridian Road between U.S. 6 and CR 900N in Liberty Twp. The property is zoned Single Family Residential and has 41 lots.

In a similar request, Ourbor Lake LLC requests secondary plat approval for Arbor Lakes subdivision Phase B which includes 54 lots on 43.76 acres. Arbor Lakes is located at 410 W. CR 100N in Union Twp zoned Single-Family Residential.

The plan commission will meet in the Commissioners’ Chambers, Room 205, in the county administration center (155 Indiana Ave.) in Valparaiso.

Posted 7/10/2012