A site plan for a proposed Speedway gas station and truck stop in Pierceton was introduced to the Kosciusko County Board of Zoning Appeals Tuesday.

A proposed truck stop in Pierceton has been tabled for the second consecutive month while traffic studies are completed.

Kosciusko County Board of Zoning Appeals met Tuesday and discussed a plan that would place a Speedway truck stop and gas station at the northwest corner of U.S. 30 and SR 13. WEIHE Engineering out of Indianapolis has developed a plan for the Speedway complex to occupy part of the 15.5 acre tract of land at the intersection.

While the area is already commercially zoned, BZA members acted on a recommendation by the county’s technical committee to delay a final vote until traffic studies are completed. Assistant county planner Matt Sandy said that, while the planning department is not expert in traffic issues, with the knowledge of how busy and often dangerous that intersection is, the BZA opted to wait until traffic counts are completed before approving the plat and the proposed entrances.

INDOT spokeswoman Mary Foster told StaceyPageOnline.com last month that the highway department’s permitting department was awaiting results of a traffic impact study before approving or acting on the proposal. Sandy said the developers are still gathering information for that study and added, “When they meet with INDOT, the county wants to be part of that meeting … we are glad to see they are doing the study now though opposed to November. Summer traffic v. winter traffic is different.”

An initial site plan presented to the Area Plan Commission shows five fuel stations for semi tractor-trailers and seven stations for passenger vehicles in addition to a large building that will house a convenience store.

The plan was originally set to be heard by the BZA in June, but Speedway officials and engineers with WEIHE at that time were still working out the logistics of the highway ingress/egress sites with INDOT. The current site plan calls for two access points on SR 13 and one just west of SR 13 along U.S. 30. (see diagram).

James Cassell spoke out on the proposal citing concerns with semi traffic on U.S. 30. Cassell said semis often run red lights on the highway and adding an egress to the Speedway onto the westbound lane west of SR 13 could result in tragedy.

The Speedway truck stop proposal has again been placed on the BZA agenda for the Tuesday, Sept. 10, meeting. The meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. in the Multi Purpose room in the basement of the Justice Building.