The Portage Plan Commission approved a variety of business developments Monday.

Two of them are of special interest to drivers — a Drive & Shine car wash at 5870 U.S. 6 and a Luke Oil gas station at 6375 Central Ave., where the former Beef Mart building will be razed.

A third is for a major commercial development on about 40 acres on the southeast corner of U.S. 6 and Airport Road. The fourth is for a building for a scrap metal place at the Port of Indiana.

The development on Airport Road will include a large anchor, possibly a Target, with other commercial spaces in a strip mall. Some restaurants and other retail stores will be in outlots.

Plan Commission member Sam Laboy said he had heard Target is in talks about locating at the site and would welcome the store. The developer is still in negotiations with potential tenants.

The property will connect to Kohl’s via a road that cuts through the 40-acre development, Planning & Community Development Director Tom Cherry said.

The anchor is in the southwest corner of the development.

South of the commercial development will be multifamily housing on about 40 additional acres, Cherry said. The developer doesn’t have plans to build anything there but wanted the zoning in place for a buffer between the commercial development and the single-family homes south of the 84-acre site.

That’s similar to the development behind Menards, Cherry said.

Because a zoning change is involved, from low-density residential to large and medium commercial for about 40 acres and multifamily for the rest, the proposal next goes before the City Council.

“This is something I knew we’re very proud of as a city,” Mayor Austin Bonta said. “We believe in the commercial potential of this property.”

Bonta promised to encourage the City Council to pass the zoning change ordinance.

As for Drive & Shine, Greg Lorig of DVT Team said the site plan was revamped repeatedly based on input from the city’s planning staff.

Six existing parcels at the intersection of Ash Street and U.S. 6 have been combined into two lots. “There’s a lot of tiny lots, and now we’re making them into two bigger lots,” he said.

The two lots will share a driveway.

Plans include a special snow melt pavement system so ice doesn’t form at the end of the car wash and an indoor vacuum center so drivers with memberships can clean interiors in comfort. Outdoor vacuums will be available for other customers.

“The indoor vacuum is always the No. 1 most sought-after feature,” Lorig said. “If they can find a property like this property that works, they love to do it.”

Luke Oil had already received primary plat approval for its station on Central Avenue but amended it based on feedback from a neighboring business. The southwest corner of the property will have additional parking spaces to share with the neighbor.

The former Beef Mart building will be no more. “The entire site essentially gets razed, including that parking area in the front,” Luke Land representative Daniel Tursman said.

Maria Figueroa, who lives in the subdivision behind the gas station, expressed concerns about having the gas station so close to a residential development.

“I do understand and appreciate the concerns that were raised,” Tursman said

There are a couple of businesses between the gas station and those homes, he said, and lighting has been designed not to affect the homes, he said. In addition, some arborvitae will be planted along the chain link fence for an additional buffer.

“We did want to be considerate of those neighbors,” he said.

While a gas station formerly sat on the site, Luke is installing all new state-of-the-art equipment, Tursman said. No car wash is planned at the station. Operating hours would likely be 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

NMLK received approval for a 5,160-square-foot building at 905 Sun Dive on land leased from the Port of Indiana. SMS, Scrap Metal Services, is operating on the 37-acre site.

“You’ll find scrap metal piles throughout the site because that’s what it’s used for now,” said Steve DeBold of Chester Inc. The front area of the building will hold office space with a shop area in back for light maintenance on equipment.

Doug Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.