Wow !  Another year coming to a close. McANA has been busy this past year on some very important issues for the neighborhoods of Marion County.  Here is a very brief progress report.

Billboards:  McANA successfully joined forces with the Peterson administration to land a 6-month moratorium on permits for new billboards.  Although the initial effort was for 12 months, to cover the time needed for the entire sign ordinance to be reviewed, renewed, and improved, only 6 months was granted by the MDC and the City County Council. Therefore the review was limited to the billboard (or off-premise signs) sections.  The Committee assembled to meet this deadline did a huge job, meeting weekly and covering as many of the issues as they could in such a short time.  Because of its importance to the overall signage issue, lighting, for instance, will be covered when a committee is convened to update the remainder of the Ordinance.

The work of the committee was endorsed by McANA because it significantly reduced the location options for new billboards.  The City County Council passed the new rules into law in November.

McANA has not given up on a permanent ban on new construction of billboards, though.  As a kick-off to those efforts, we hosted Meg Maguire, President of Scenic America, and Bill Binton of Citizens for a Scenic Florida.  We are in intent on using this next year to gather information, educate the Council and the public about the positive impact banning billboards can have for our community, and ultimately see such a ban enacted by the City County Council.

Septic Conversion:  McANA has long seen the conversion of septic systems to public sanitary sewers as a huge need in our City.  But, how to accomplish this without the financial burden being placed on the backs of homeowners, as the current Barrett Law does, was the missing piece.  In April 2001, McANA adopted a policy that the Stormwater Utility Ordinance and the Long-Term Control Plan for Combined Sewer Overflows should be concurrently enacted for the most efficient means of tackling failing infrastructure problems in Indianapolis.  But, we further pointed out that the Septic Conversion problem needed a solid plan.  Councilor Beulah Coughenour has done a fantastic job of pulling a reasonable funding mechanism together in her proposed Ordinance.  McANA has endorsed her approach as the type that will achieve the necessary replacement of septic systems, but without increasing the burden to Indy’s already overtaxed homeowners.  We will continue to seek sponsorship of this Ordinance in the City County Council.

Mining:  Limestone mining is pervasive in Marion County.  McANA has raised the awareness of this issue in City Hall.  We also brought together affected citizens to tackle the issue of regulating the Mining Industry in order to better protect homes and neighborhoods from their activity.  From unsightly Mount Hanson on the City’s south side, to respiratory health concerns, to property damage due to blasting, to truck traffic tearing up residential streets — all are being analyzed for how improvements can be made.  Organized Citizens On Mining (OCOM), with McANA’s assistance, is actively pursuing the goal of devising effective oversight of the mining industry in Indianapolis.

I-69:  This was a big year for I-69 opposition in Indianapolis. Mike Dearing and Mike Peoni of the Metropolitan Planning Organization gave McANA unprecedented access to the public process.  With a Perry Township meeting on wisdom of I-69 going through that area, McANA was allowed to make its own presentation.  Opposition to the plans began to crystallize from there.  New data have been assembled suggesting that Perry will lose between $100-$200 million in assessed value if I-69 is allowed to be built.  McANA used the energy of the debate to help establish a neighborhood association in the affected area—Southwest Perry Civic Association.  Unfortunately, the short term goal of preventing the inclusion if I-69 in the long term transportation plan failed.  Mayor Peterson voted in favor of this request by INDOT.  And, although a coalition of forces pulled off a stunning 4-4 tie at the first MDC hearing, I-69 through Perry Township was finally approved by that body in August.  As maintained by McANA all along, this was premature.  Yet to be issued is the final Environmental Impact Study—long delayed and expected about February.  This will be followed by a public comment period and a probable law suit. Stay tuned for news as it develops.

Foreclosures:  McANA has become acutely aware of the foreclosure problem in Marion County.  Although we were all seeing ‘for sale’ signs pop up in our new developments, we did not understand the enormity of the problem until Mildred Wilkens, President of Home Ownership Matters was our guest speaker in July.  Indiana has led the nation in foreclosure rate since 2001.  Indianapolis is seeing foreclosures and abandoned houses in new subdivisions, sometimes on the order of 20%.  Although Mayor Peterson has begun an abandoned housing program, he has not yet endorsed home ownership education as one cost-effective means of reducing the foreclosure rate, and thus reducing the supply of abandoned houses.  The impact of foreclosures in Indianapolis is still peaking. McANA will continue to be involved in seeking solutions to this problem that ultimately affects us all.

McANA also found time to develop and adopt a position in favor of protecting greenways from encroachment by unwise and overly intense adjacent development.

We also had representation on the Tree Preservation Task Force, although no final report has yet been issued.

Onward into 2004 we go. Join with us and together we can accomplish even more next year.