Hardware store owner drops unusual helipad request

Seeking city approval to add a downtown helipad to the roof of the North Meridian Hardware store would seem like an unusual request. But to owner Keith Payne, it makes perfect sense for his plans to ultimately expand his hardware business into other cities. Payne is a pilot, and to have the luxury of flying to other locations from his store at 1433 N. Meridian St. would be quite the timesaver. His variance request, however, created enough stir among area residents that he decided to shelve it. “It’s a residential area, and being respectful of a residential area, and since I’m only two stories up, it could cause some noise pollution for people around us, and that’s understandable,” he said. Payne, who opened North Meridian Hardware in March 2012, has no immediate plans to expand but is eyeing the Louisville market. Despite dropping the helipad request, he still is slated to have a few others heard by a city zoning board June 19. He wants to reduce the number of parking spaces from 46 to 36 to offer an outdoor gardening and landscaping area, in addition to building a screen to shield the eight moving trucks he has available for rent from public view.