I often struggle to come up with a topic for my monthly column and this month was no different - until last Friday, when I heard a City employee spout his solution for seeking harmony in the disparities that often seem to exist between the urban and suburban neighborhoods in Marion County.

His solution - if residents in the outlying suburban areas don’t like the increasing pressures of accepting denser, more "city-like" development, they should just move out of Indianapolis. My response - well there’s a cooperative approach! I have often heard this sentiment expressed by developers during a heated zoning battle, but I was appalled and angered that someone who is supposed to be representing ALL residents would state so clearly, in an official capacity, that our City no longer has the room or the interest in maintaining a diversity of lifestyles.

I believe a truly vital, sustainable City must offer a balanced variety of living opportunities - from high rise, multi-family apartments and condominiums with closely located urban amenities all the way to large lot, single family, individually built metes and bounds homes. What I was just told last week was that Indianapolis does not have room for both.

As the president of MCANA, and a life-long resident of Marion County who happens to be one of the rural/suburban irritants apparently blocking the "progress" of the Circle City, I work hard to try and balance the vast and varied needs of the diverse neighborhoods in our county. The entire purpose of MCANA is to create opportunities for neighborhoods with varied histories and strong roots to understand each other, find common ground, and use our collective strengths to resolve the problems we face together or individually. How unfortunate that some in our City government do not share these goals.

So imagine my disgust when someone who represents MY local government pretty much tells me that what my "country neighbors" feel is important to maintaining their quality of life no longer has a place in our City. How is that attitude supposed to help create harmony between and combine the energies of urban and suburban lifestyles? It is as ridiculous and egregious as it would be to say that, since Indianapolis started as a primarily agricultural community, anyone who wants to live a more urban lifestyle should just move to New York or Los Angeles.

I understand CLEARLY that development is inevitable, and sometimes desired. But I also believe FIRMLY that if we truly want a great City, shoving aside one group of residents as being out-of-step with reality when the City relies so heavily upon them for human resources and financial assets, is unfair and short-sited. It sets up an unnecessary conflict between urban and suburban residents who should, AND DO, work together to solve each other’s problems. And that kind of narrow-minded thinking on the part of those who are supposed to be visionary "professionals" makes it EXTREMELY difficult for neighborhoods to participate in a land use issue and have any expectation of a fair and equitable resolution. If neighbors settle for this predisposed thinking from the City, it will perpetuate a feeling of ill will between developers and landowners and the neighborhoods, thereby suffocating efforts by all parties to sit down and negotiate in good faith. 

Even though it is one of our Country’s largest cities, Indianapolis is in a unique position to offer the best of both worlds. We have the opportunity to avoid the mistakes made by other cities that are now scrambling to recreate open space and offer a variety of living styles. We should be able to accommodate both the "country mouse and the city mouse" and keep our City a place that offers something for everyone.

Residents should not be told that the character of the neighborhoods they work so hard to preserve is outdated and obstructive. They should not be told that they must abandon those things in which they have invested their money and lives. It is frightening to think that our City employees are telling us that we must make a choice to forever alter our established lifestyles or "get out of town."