--- — CVS Pharmacy will be moving and expanding in Batesville. It was a slam dunk when the developer representing the drugstore chain appeared before the Batesville Board of Zoning Appeals Sept. 2. With little hesitation, all five requested variances were granted. Brian Grassa, Cedarwood Development Inc., Akron, Ohio, managing development director, said after the meeting CVS officials decided to grow here because “the current store doesn't meet their standards for size and location. It's a good market and they want to be able to serve it in the best way they can.” The new location will be on the southwest corner of the intersection of state roads 229 and 46 on 5 acres already zoned Business-2 that are now owned by the Hunteman estate. The pharmacy will utilize 2 acres, with 3 acres left for future development. Users have not been identified yet, Grassa said. The masonry single-story building will contain 13,225 square feet. “It’s a big building. It’s probably three times the size of the other one,” estimated Batesville Building Commissioner Tim Macyauski. The new CVS will feature a double drive-thru on the back side of the building and plentiful parking – 81 spaces on the S.R. 46 side in three rows, plus more parking adjacent to S.R. 229. The Indiana Department of Transportation has approved two accesses. Southbound S.R. 229 customers may enter CVS just before the intersection. Customers may enter and exit in both directions on S.R. 46 midway between Mitchell Avenue and the intersection. CVS will add an offsite sanitary sewer main extension to serve the property. To manage stormwater, a series of catch basins and underground pipes will allow water to flow to a detention basin, the developer said. When asked the targeted date of the new store opening, he reported, “We still have a lot of permitting to go through.” The project will be bid soon. A few attendees had concerns. Andy Gordon, who lives in the nearby Hillcrest Estates neighborhood west of the site, said the S.R. 46 access “seems like it will be fairly congested.” Grassa explained the striped median on the road will be changed into a left-turn lane into the pharmacy so traffic won't back up down S.R. 46. “We've paid traffic engineers to do a full study,” which was reviewed by INDOT Seymour District engineers. Gloria Paras, the real estate agent for commercial property for sale between the site and Hillcrest Estates, said the owners were worried that with a detention pond, the land at the bottom of the hill will flood. The developer noted, “We must prove the postconstruction discharge does not exceed the preconstruction discharge” of water. BBZA member Mary K. Cambron asked if sidewalks are planned near the drugstore. “INDOT discourages sidewalks in this area” because of the high amount of traffic and there are none to tie into, according to Grassa. Steve Brehob, Smith Neubecker, Bloomington, design manager, added, “INDOT has been agreeable to sidewalks (in other instances) as long as they are not in the right of way.” Ken Wanstrath, BBZA vice president who was presiding in President David Raver's absence, pointed out, “If there’s ever a site that’s the front door of Batesville, this is it. Ninety percent of the people who come to Batesville come through this intersection.” The city zoning code states there must be a greenbelt at least 20 feet wide where a B-2 district adjoins a residential one and also at least a 20-foot setback for off-street parking. Macyauski noted Hillcrest Country Club is zoned residential and actually meets the CVS site in the middle of S.R. 46. Because of a very wide INDOT right of way at that corner, Grassa asked for a reduction of the 20-foot rule to 5 feet for a portion along S.R. 229 and to 5.5 feet for a portion along S.R. 46. Due to the right of way, parking would still be between 40-80 feet from the roads. The other three concerned signage. The ordinance states there cannot be more than three signs per site or occupancy frontage. Macyauski said the store will actually face both roads, but even so the rule is three maximum. Brad Rhodes, SignArt, Kalamazoo, Mich., national project director, said plans are for four internally illuminated signs on one side and three on the other. Some would be brief, such as Photo and Pharmacy. The code also states total signage cannot exceed 300 square feet, but CVS requested 442. The last variance was for the size and height of an 80-foot-tall high-rise sign by I-74 and a 24-foot-tall double-faced sign that will be placed diagonally to the intersection. Rhodes reported the high-rise sign would be similar to sizes already existing there. Wanstrath was worried about it being lit 24 hours daily. Of signs near an interstate exit, the developer advised, “You want them on 24 hours so it looks like the town is open for business.” Grassa pointed out the tall sign near the intersection is needed because land there is lower than on the bridge over I-74.