Outdoor sales for Cedar Lake hardware store OK’d

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Updated: February 21, 2012 4:00PM

CEDAR LAKE — Plans for an outdoor sales patio at True Value in Lincoln Plaza are moving forward.

The Board of Zoning Appeals on Feb. 16 voted 3-0 to allow the hardware store, which is adjacent to the new Strack and Van Til in Lincoln Plaza on 133rd Avenue, to install a 30- by 80-foot cement patio to the west of the building.

Board member Jeff Bunge abstained due to his affiliation with the business. Board member Jeremy Kuiper was absent.

The variance also will allow the business to store up to 30 pallets of overflow seasonal landscape supplies in the parking lot. The supplies will be displayed on the sidewalk in front of the store with the majority of the excess stored behind the building.

Al Bunge Jr., the business’ president, said True Value plans to use the patio as an outdoor showroom for larger items such as patio furniture. The location and size of the patio has received Plan Commission approval.

“We’d also do customer appreciation events there,” Bunge Jr. said.

There were no objections to the proposal at the public hearing.

Ian Nicolini, town administrator, said the town received a letter in support of the plan from Strack and Van Til LLC provided the hardware store follows terms of an agreement between the two businesses concerning outdoor sales.

Bunge Jr. said the two businesses have been in negotiations for several months concerning outdoor sales and their shared parking lot and have finally come to terms. The variance requested complies with those terms.

Board member Tim Kubiak said he wanted the language of the variance to include a limit on the number of pallets that would be allowed in the parking lot at any one time as a precautionary measure.

“This is just something for us if it does get out of control,” Kubiak said.