Merrillville Board of Zoning Appeals on Wednesday gave favorable recommendations to two new restaurants, a used car dealership and two pole barn type buildings behind the Schepel Cadillac dealership on U.S. 30.

Samoil Terzioski said he plans to have a maximum of 48 used vehicles for sale at 2523 W. Lincoln Highway, which once housed a Burger King restaurant, then a fireworks store and is now vacant.

Another seven parking spaces will be available for employees and customers, he said.

The board had deferred Terzioski’s request last month, expressing concern over the 57 cars he originally requested and asking him to submit a site plan to see where the cars would go on the half-acre lot.

“It’s tight, but it seems all dealership lots are tight,” member Tim Fortier said in voting with the other three members to give the car lot a positive recommendation.

Allen Bartley, of Commercial In-Sites realty, received a favorable recommendation to build two pole barn style buildings at 2929 W. Lincoln Highway, where the Hummer track used to be. He said one of the buildings would house a heating and air conditioning business and the other would be a speculative building.

He said the buildings would have some stone work in the front portion.

This petition was also deferred last month, with some board members expressing concern over how the buildings would look and whether they would negatively affect the Heritage North residential subdivision behind them.

They asked for a rendering of the buildings, which Bartley provided Wednesday.

The board received a letter in support of the buildings from Tom VanProoyen, of Schepel Cadillac.

“I was concerned we were giving you a blank check before. This makes me more comfortable knowing what the buildings will look like,” member Julie Olthoff said.

The board also gave favorable recommendations to a Cajun seafood restaurant called the Cajun House at 234 W. 81st Ave, the site of the former Roxana restaurant, and a Mexican restaurant at 6740 Broadway, which currently houses Harper’s BBQ, Wings & Fish.

Both restaurants will retain the current number of seats — 84 at the Cajun House and 38 at the Mexican restaurant.

All the requests still need to go before the town council for final approval.

Karen Caffarini is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.