Raising Cane’s coming to Kokomo
Also, SoulBrain gets green light, Lincoln Road housing project making third run at approval
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Chicken fingers are coming to Kokomo. The fast-growing restaurant chain, Raising Cane’s, made it through plat and development plan approval on March 1, moving it one step closer to construction.
The City of Kokomo Plan Commission’s plat committee met on March 1 to consider a handful of new development projects. Raising Cane’s intends to occupy the lot at 1728 E. Markland Ave., the former home of Long John Silver’s.
The restaurant passed plat consideration with virtually no conditions or objections. The development plan passed as well with one caveat. The project is awaiting approval from the Indiana Department of Transportation on a permit for an outlet to the drainage ditch serving the property.
The restaurant will have to appear at the City of Kokomo’s Board of Zoning Appeals on March 7 for a special exception for parking. Raising Cane’s plans on having 100 percent of its customer parking in front of the building, while the comprehensive plan limits frontage parking to 25 percent.
Raising Cane’s opened its first restaurant in 1996 in Louisiana, featuring chicken fingers as its primary menu offering. In fact, it is the only entrée, served either independently or in sandwich form. The restaurant also serves fries, Texas toast, and coleslaw as sides. The restaurant is also known for its sweet tea and lemonade.
Currently, Raising Cane’s has three franchises in Indiana – Bloomington, Greenwood, and Lafayette. Another franchise is planned for Noblesville along with Kokomo.
In other plat committee action, two developments connected to the Star Plus Energy battery plant advanced at the meeting. Project Fusion – a Northern Indiana Public Service Co. (NIPSCO) installation – and Project Hydrate – the SoulBrain electrolyte production facility – both received conditional approval of their plats and development plans.
Finally, developer and business owner Rick Singh received development plan approval for Storybook Court Duplexes, a 20-unit housing project slated for construction at 2331 W. Lincoln Road. This is the third attempt to develop the three-acre parcel in a year.
The previous two developments faced heavy opposition from residents of the Executive Place condominium community which abuts the property. The plan commission sided with the residents and denied the development last fall, citing a lack of details about the development.
During the plat committee hearing, plan commission president Mike Besser pointedly asked about refuse removal and street maintenance responsibility. The development’s representative explained that all street, stormwater, and sanitary sewer utilities will be privately maintained, and that the duplexes will be served by Republic with curbside trash tote pick-up.
Because the development intends to have 20 housing units, it will require a special exception permit from the city Board of Zoning Appeals on March 7. The comprehensive plan only allows for 17 units in the current zoning for the property.