The Indianapolis Insight Implementation Committee began its work in December of 2002. The Committee was formed by the Mayor to guide implementation of the recommendations developed during the first phase of the Comprehensive Plan update process: the Indianapolis Insight Community Values Component.

The 283 recommendations contained in the Plan were divided into four parts: Land Use, Recommended Ordinance and Procedure Changes, Development Methods, and Supporting Issues. The Implementation Committee is reviewing each set of recommendations. After reviewing a set, the committee then prioritizes its recommendations. So far the committee has prioritized the Land Use recommendations and the Recommended Ordinance and Procedure Changes. They are close to completing their prioritization of the Development Methods Recommendations.

The Plan contained 29 Land Use recommendations. As the Committee prioritized these items, recommendations concerning redevelopment and open space rose to the top of the list. The five items that receive the highest ratings were:

• Continue to redevelop blighted and deteriorating areas proactively and in partnerships among the City, local non-profit developments, neighborhood associations, community centers and for-profit developers.
• Return relatively new but large vacant or under-used structures, and the land they sit on, to productive use and the generation of tax revenues.
• Assemble and preserve lands and corridors for regional scale parks, open space, recreation needs and natural areas.
• Strongly discourage use of parkland for non-park purposes; any taking of parkland should be at market value, as a direct purchase, lease arrangement or trade for similar land in the vicinity.
• Consider the development of new “mixed income and use neighborhoods” on underutilized land, including large retail sites and shopping centers that are now obsolete.

The Plan contained 46 Recommended Ordinance and Procedure Changes. The four items that receive the highest ratings were:

• Provide incentives beyond the cluster option for the conservation of environmentally sensitive areas such as stream buffers, woodlands and native meadows.
• Amend the Wellfield Protection zoning ordinance to ban the construction of new septic systems in wellfields.
• Amend the commercial and industrial zoning ordinances to require sidewalks and standards for pedestrian safety.
• Amend the Zoning ordinances to require preservation of existing dense vegetative cover or the planting of dense vegetative cover along stream and tributary banks for the purpose of erosion control, contaminant capture, water cooling (important for retaining oxygen levels) and habitat preservation.

Further study will be needed on these recommendations before they become ordinances.

The committee’s work has been presented to the Metropolitan Development Commission and the Division managers within the Department of Metropolitan Development. In this way the recommendations can start to become part of the Department’s “corporate culture”.

Once the committee has prioritized the all the Plan’s recommendations they will monitor the progress toward achieving the goals of the recommendations. The Committee may also be involved in instituting some of the recommendations.

Upcoming Comprehensive Land Use Planning meetings are:

Warren Township Planning Area – 
Monday, September 15, 7:00 p.m.
Raymond Park Middle School, 8575 E. Raymond Street.

Washington Township Planning Area - 
Monday, September 29, 7:00 p.m. 
Holliday Park Nature Center, 6363 Spring Mill Road.

Warren Township Planning Area - 
Monday, October 8, 7:00 p.m. 
Raymond Park Middle School, 8575 E. Raymond Street. 

Meetings are open to all Marion County citizens who wish to be involved.   For more information or to be placed on the Indianapolis Insight mailing list, call 327-5155 or visit our website at. 

www.indygov.org/indianapolisinsight