MDC Supports the Neighborhood and the Comprehensive Plan

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The opinions expressed in these articles and features are those of their author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of McANA or the opinion of its Directors or Officers.

MDC Supports the Neighborhood and the Comprehensive Plan
by Clarke Kahlo

Neighborhoods received much-needed protection on June 19th when the Metropolitan Development Commission voted to support the newly-formed Greater Broad Ripple Community Coalition (GBRCC) in its battle to defeat a proposed rezoning which would have introduced substantial commercial activity to the established neighborhood.

The Commission voted 6 to 3 to deny the petition of the Buckingham Companies for its mixed use rezone request to the D-P (Development-Planned) district for the "McNamara property" which is a 3.9 acre site at 1111 E. 61st Street in the predominantly residential area of south Broad Ripple. The site, which adjoins the Monon Trail, is currently zoned D-7 and C-1. But the developer sought approval for more intense use-- 100 new apartment units and 48,000 square feet of retail and office use. The retail component would have ultimately involved the sale of alcoholic beverages, and, in the strongly-held opinion of the neighborhood remonstrators, would have further exposed their neighborhood to more of the negative impacts which are currently felt as a result of the approximately 53 existing alcohol sales establishments in the Broad Ripple area.

Following the hearing, neighbor Jim Holland, whose testimony to the Commission emphasized that the proposed D-P zone was inappropriate for the location, expressed optimism that the Commission's decision would set a desirable precedent regarding the future use of the "D-P district. "We were all gratified that the Commission held the petitioner to its burden of proving a need to change the existing zoning ordinance, and that merely 'wanting' the change was not enough" he said. "The commissioners also seemed to send a message that they would not rubber stamp developers' attempts to disguise commercial rezoning under the catch-all 'DP' designation."

The 60 remonstrators who attended the MDC hearing were actively supported by City-County Councilors At-Large Joanne Sanders and Karen Horseman. On the other side was Charles Huppert, an appointee to the Greenways Committee, and Councilor Jim Bradford. Mr. Huppert emphasized to the Commission that a key component of the Greenway department's mission is "to promote economic development". He also told the Commission that Greenway's manager Ray Irvin was in favor of the petition. Councilor Horseman rebutted his remarks by pointing out that the Greenways Board had not even discussed this case. Councilor Jim Bradford advocated extensively in support of the rezoning proposal even though it did not comply with the 1997 Comprehensive Plan for the area.

The city is currently revising the Comprehensive Plan which is a prerequisite to receiving Federal transportation funds. Some avowed cynics, discouraged by their perception that, over the years, the Commission has exhibited a record which too often ignores the Comprehensive Plan to the detriment of neighborhood quality of life, periodically pose the rhetorical question: "why do we bother to create an expensive Comprehensive Plan plan if we won't adhere to it"? The positive outcome of this rezoning case in Broad Ripple confirms the value of a well-reasoned and well-documented plan beyond just our desire to continue to receive Federal transportation funds. It also confirms the value of active citizen defense of the plan -- which the new GBRCC's organized remonstrance clearly demonstrated.

In 1996, prominent urbanologist Neal Peirce studied Indianapolis and recommended, in part, that we "democratize development decisions" and "end the monopoly that planners and developers have in deciding the physical appearance of our communities". This case confirms that we are indeed capable of such needed and desired change.