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Column: July 18, 2004 The Comprehensive Plan and Public Process Catherine Burton, President of McANA, wrote the following article for a special Indianapolis Star Focus on Neighborhoods. In September 2000, Indianapolis kicked off a planning process to shape the future growth of our community. Since that time, countless meetings have been held involving city employees, elected officials, the business and development community, residents and neighborhood leaders. The debate about development has been a lively one but the final result of the planning process has yet to unfold. The phrase “Marion County Comprehensive Land Use Plan” isn’t one that automatically fires people up. Yet the review and revision of that Plan currently underway in Indianapolis will have a profound impact on our neighborhoods. This Land Use Plan will impact our quality of life, economic viability, infrastructure and community services, even how long it will take us to get out of our driveways and the amount of taxes we will pay. Although recommendations of this Plan for how vacant land should develop are intended only as a guide, the weight they carry in actual rezonings is immense and often irreversible. There is no doubt that land use issues are among the most emotionally charged and energizing that neighborhoods face. Neighborhoods across Marion County have been taking a more proactive stance on land use in recent years. We have become more knowledgeable about the long-term impacts that development has on our community. We have educated ourselves about land use principles, environmental issues and infrastructure challenges. We have become more resourceful about gathering information and analyzing data. We have become more assertive in communicating with decision makers and presenting our positions. We have become more sophisticated in forming partnerships and sharing information with other neighborhoods. We have learned that silence is not always golden. We have learned that the experts are not always right and neither are we. We have learned when compromise is appropriate and when we must remain firm that compromise is not always the best solution for our neighborhoods. We have also learned to understand the inestimable value of true public process. Although future land uses in many areas of the County have met with agreement among planners, developers, land owners, and residents, areas of controversy still remain. Those opposing how recommendations are being finalized continue to question those recommendations. They are also questioning whether the City has compromised the public process by circumventing a state law requiring the City to create township advisory committees as part of the planning process. Residents of Perry Township who walked out of a recent meeting en masse brought the importance placed by neighborhoods on proper public process into specific relief. Their bold actions delivered a resounding message that the value of the Comp Plan would be compromised if City officials failed to ensure compliance with the laws that prescribe the Comp Planning process. The message that must be broadcast is that it is not too late to require the City to ensure that the public process is honored. And it is not too late for residents to make a difference in shaping the future of their neighborhoods and their City.
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