The city has approved rezoning more than 3 acres of land so a gas station convenient store can put up a sign designed to be seen by motorists along Interstate 65.
The Columbus City Council has unanimously approved rezoning 3.6 acres of land currently occupied by Get Go Café & Market at 3545 W. County Road 450S just west of Interstate 65 on the city’s south side.
With the approval, the land will be rezoned from “agricultural: preferred” and “commercial: community” to “commercial: regional,” which will allow the gas station convenient store to put up an interstate-oriented sign that could be as tall as 90 feet and occupy no more than 200 square feet in area, according to a staff report from the Columbus Plan Commission.
Besides allowing the company to construct the sign, the “commercial: regional” zoning classification would allow for some additional permitted uses on the property, such as whole sale facilities, farm equipment sales, among others, as well as conditional uses that include a truck stop or travel center, Jeff Bergman, city and county planning director, told the city council on Jan. 21 when initially presenting the proposed rezoning request.
Bergman, however, said Get Go Café & Market representatives had signaled to him that their main intent is to construct an interstate-oriented sign and would not be planning any changes to the property in the foreseeable future. Bergman added that the gas station across the street, Circle-K, currently has a similar sign on their property.
“To be eligible for one of the tall signs that are visible from the interstate, (the property) needs to be within 2,500 feet of the center point of an interstate interchange and zoned regional commercial, and we understand from the applicants that they’re not planning any use changes on the property. They’re main intent is to enable that taller interstate sign,” Bergman said.
The Columbus Plan Commission reviewed the application at its Jan. 8 meeting and issued a favorable recommendation to the council in a 10-1 vote, according to city records.
Bergman told the city council that the one vote against the rezoning request was “out of concern of the proliferation” of tall interstate oriented signs.
