The Zionsville Plan Commission met Jan. 22 at Zionsville Town Hall to discuss proposed building updates.
What happened: McDonald’s franchise owner John Liapes submitted plans to update the Boone Village McDonald’s.
What it means: The restaurant, built in 1993, was purchased by Liapes and his wife, Mary Liapes, in 2014. In 2015, the new owners submitted plans for a change of exterior color. The building was updated to a neutral gray color palette. Now, Liapes’ design team wants to further modernize the building.
The building will keep its gray color scheme, and more bricks will be added to reflect the bricks on Zionsville’s Town Hall, which faces the McDonald’s. The siding will be replaced with more durable Hardieplank siding. Liapes also wants to add outdoor aesthetic elements like a trellis.
“McDonald’s is on a large push to upgrade and modernize all around,” Liapes said. “This is a nice representation of what McDonald’s is looking for in the future. It should be a good contributor to the city of Zionsville.”
The commission approved the plans with a unanimous 6-0 vote.
What happened: John Tousley, an attorney and Zionsville resident since 1978, asked the commission to review the town’s practice of giving notice before important events.
What it means: Tousley, a former president of Zionsville Village Residents Association, said he noticed the provisions concerning notifying neighbors about public hearings, meetings and construction are different than what he was previously accustomed to in Zionsville.
Tousley asked for more transparency from the town officials, including giving notice to homeowners associations and neighborhood associations. He also asked for more visible signage and an enhanced use of technology.
“I’d like to see email being used to send notice out,” Tousley said.
Frequently, he said construction has already started by the time a person receives notice by mail.
“Notice (should) be given 23 days prior to hearing instead of 10 days,” Tousley said. “People don’t have time to react.”
What’s next: Wayne DeLong, director of Planning and Economic Development for the Town of Zionsville, said he would evaluate ordinances focusing on the rules for giving notice.
