Department Report 06-07-22Carmel Plan Commission
COMMERCIAL COMMITTEE
Tuesday, June 7, 2022 Department Report
1. PZ-2022-00067 ADLS Amend: Tesla Supercharging Station at GetGo Gas Station.
The applicant seeks design approval for an electric vehicle charging station. The site is located at 11505 Illinois
Street. It is zoned PUD (The Bridges Z-550-11). Filed by Sarah Honeycutt of GPD Group on behalf of Tesla.
Project overview:
Tesla has a mission to accelerate adoption of electric vehicles. They have deployed a fast-charging solution called the
Supercharger. They are connectors that charge a Tesla in minutes instead of hours. The Supercharger stations are
conveniently located along well traveled highways. Each station contains multiple superchargers to help driver get back
on the road quickly. Tesla vehicles are 100% electric, with a range of up to 335 miles on a single charge. The
Supercharger stations are available to Tesla customers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The average charge sessions about
35 minutes, with cars fully charged in an hour if the batter is near empty. While the car charges, Tesla owners can
patronize the local nearby stores and restaurants.
This project will be sited just east of the GetGo fuel station and in the parking spaces north of the ground sign along
Illinois Street. Part of the project will be to install a utility transformer, charging cabinets, and a switchgear assembly
north of the convenience store building. Eight charging units will be placed between 9 parking stalls. There will be
minimal asphalt pavement disturbance. Minimal signage will be installed on each unit. One parking lot light fixture will
be relocated slightly northeast of its existing location to allow for appropriate spacing between the charging lines and the
light pole. Supplemental landscaping will be installed, and any negatively impacted existing landscaping will be mitigated
on site. No BZA variances are needed. Please view the Petitioner’s Info Packets for additional information on the
proposed request.
Previous GetGo Approval and Parking Counts:
The GetGo gas station was originally approved in 2014 with the Market District grocery building under Docket no.
14010012 DP and 14010014 ADLS. 59 parking spaces were proposed for the gas station use. Per the PUD, retail and
service uses need 4 spaces per 1,000 sq. ft. The building is 5,748 sq. ft. so 22 spaces are required. By comparison, the
UDO requires 1 space per pump, plus 1 space per 200 sq. ft. of retail/general service space. This means 45 spaces would
be required. This gives an excess of 37 or 14 spaces. In conclusion, the site is overparked, and utilizing 9 spaces for these
8 EV chargers will not negatively affect the site and current uses.
Landscaping:
There is a proposed utility transformer that will be installed just north of the convenience store building. Staff asked the
Petitioner how that unit will be screened and/or camouflaged from view. The response was that the Duke Energy
transformer will be on a 7’x7’ pad. The Petitioner did not have any plans for landscaping around the transformer, since
Duke Energy requires 10’ of open, unobstructed area on the front of the transformer and 3’ on the sides and back, so they
can service it. (The Petitioner intends to install landscaping around the unit as required by the Zoning Ordinance;
however, it needs to also comply with Duke Energy’s clearance standards.)
Recommendation:
After all comments and concerns are addressed, the Department of Community Services recommends the Committee
votes to Approve this item this evening with the Condition that the Petitioner works with the Urban Forester to finalize a
landscape plan for screening of the utility transformer that will be installed just north of the convenience store building.