Richmond’s I-70 fuel and food options could grow

More fuel — and snacks and drinks — could be added to Richmond’s competition to provide traveler services.

A zoning change has been requested for 2477 U.S. 35 so a gas station and convenience store can be built on the property directly across from the Love’s Travel Stop north of the Interstate 70 interchange. The request documents show the new business would be a 7-Eleven store with Speedway gas.

Richmond Common Council was presented the zoning request during its March 3 meeting and referred it to the Richmond Advisory Plan Commission for a public hearing. That hearing will be 5:30 p.m. March 23 in the third-floor chambers of the Richmond Municipal Building, 50 N. Fifth St., Richmond.

The request is for highway commercial zoning that allows the 4,650-square-foot convenience store with sets of gas pumps in front and behind it. The parcel now used for farming is zoned high-intensity industrial.

The development is the third new gas and convenience store combination planned along the I-70 corridor in Richmond. QuikTrip received zoning variances in December 2023 for a facility at 787 Highland Road, and Wawa announced late in 2023 plans to build a facility at 2600 Williamsburg Pike.

Dustin Purvis, the city’s director of infrastructure and development, said both projects continue with planning and permitting. WWN emailed QuikTrip and Wawa media relations asking for construction and opening timelines, but received no responses.

The 7-Eleven and Speedway project is little more than a mile north of the Wawa location on U.S. 35/Williamsburg Pike. That interchange will be rebuilt during the Revive I-70 project, with roundabouts installed to the north and the south.

The QuikTrip, which will be north of the U.S. 27 and I-70 interchange, is less than a mile from the Chester Boulevard Speedway that opened within the past few years.

Smith Hill subdivision

Following approvals from Richmond Redevelopment Commission and Richmond Advisory Plan Commission, council approved a resolution creating an economic development area for the planned Smith Hill Subdivision.

That would allow collection of additional property tax dollars from the area south of Backmeyer Road between South 37th Street and Garwood Road. The tax increment finance dollars would repay bonds issued by the Indiana Finance Authority. The $4.33 million bond would serve as match money for $4.33 million tentatively awarded to the housing development through the state’s Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative, although that award is delayed by the new state administration’s review of the program.

The READI and bond money would cover a portion of the expected $22 million infrastructure cost for 11th Street Development’s project that includes 178 single-family homes and 99 townhomes.

The Redevelopment Commission will conduct a public hearing about the economic development area at 1:30 p.m. April 1 in the council chambers on the third floor of the Richmond Municipal Building, 50 N. Fifth St.

Tax abatement

Ahaus Tool & Engineering has requested a personal property tax abatement. The company plans a $275,400 investment that will create two new jobs with a minimum wage of $24 per hour plus benefits.

The request was referred to council’s tax abatement committee. The committee will score the request using the metrics adopted in 2023 to determine the length of the abatement. The maximum length for a personal property abatement is five years.

DORA changes

The Depot District Association is asking council to expand hours for the Depot District’s Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area. The ordinance was referred to council’s safety committee.

A DORA permits customers to purchase alcoholic beverages from approved establishments and consume them outside within the DORA boundaries. The DORA was established with operating hours of 4 to 11 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday; however, the association is asking for hours from noon to 11 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Lindsay Darnell, the city’s community development coordinator, said the change would better align with events, especially Wine Walk on summer Wednesdays, and would maximize daytime foot traffic for local businesses.

RP&L rate

Council members acting as the Richmond Power & Light board had Feb. 3 approved a resolution creating a green power rider for the utility’s tariff list. Now, they approved it 9-0 as council.

The voluntary rider enables business customers to pay $0.006 per kilowatt hour beyond their regular rate to receive green energy from the Indiana Municipal Power Agency, which supplies RP&L’s electricity. RP&L would keep $0.001 of that for administration costs.

Tony Foster, RP&L general manager, said the utility fast-tracked the rider because it has received requests for it. Companies can use it to meet green energy goals without creating their own green energy.

Animal tags

Richmond pet owners issued citations pay their fines in the city clerk’s office. An ordinance would require those pet owners whose animals are not registered with the city to purchase the required registration tag before paying their fines.

Clerk Karen Chasteen said the required annual pet tags serve a public-health purpose because receiving a tag requires proof of rabies vaccination. The tags cost $15 or $8 with proof of sterilization and are available at the clerk’s office, 50 N. Fifth St., Richmond.

Council referred the ordinance to its safety committee.

Security alarms

An ordinance doubling fees for security alarm permits was referred to council’s finance committee.

The fees for the two-year permits have remained $10 for more than two decades. The ordinance would raise permit fees to $20 and charge an additional $10 if a renewal is 15 days delinquent. If a renewal is 30 days delinquent, the alarm will be removed from the database, requiring a new application.

Golf staff

Council approved amending the 2025 salary ordinance for restructuring the city golf department’s administration.

The division will now have a golf operations director with a salary range of $57,970 to $72,462 and a golf greenskeeper with a salary range of $40,318 to $48,382.