Fall Creek Place Progress Team

Update on 2327 N Broadway Zoning Request

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 11:26:00 GMT

An update from last night’s Progress Team zoning meeting regarding the Oak’s Academy zoning request to use the home at 2327 N Broadway (the former Jim Jones house) for educational uses.

The variance request has been amended to expire after one year. The Oaks is launching a second school on the Near Eastside in 2012, and will be “incubating” a pre-K and Kindergarten class for that new location in the current Fall Creek Place school. Because the current school is at capacity, there is no room to add the two classrooms. As such, the school seeks to move an 8th grade humanities class into the house at 2327 Broadway for the year. Once the new school opens and the pre-K and K “incubator” classrooms move to that school, the Oaks will no longer need to use the house.

The Oaks is in the preliminary stage of determining feasibility of using the house. The variance request is an early step, but other steps, including necessary code modifications needed to accommodate educational use, and the cost of doing so, have not been determined. The School would assume maintenance of the property and would not have any pickup or dropoff of students at the location. They would be walking back and forth from other classes inside the main school building. The 3 staff people using the house would either park in the existing parking pad behind the home or in current school parking lots.

General neighbor concerns revolved around the safety of students in a home not designed for such purpose as well as concern that the variance could set a precedent that would make it easier for the owner of the home to continue the commercial or institutional use after the Oaks vacates after a year. While the variance will expire after one year, and any future use for such purpose would require a new variance with a new public hearing, neighbors reiterated their desire to maintain homes and lots for the planned residential use.

A public hearing of the Indianapolis Board of Zoning Appeals has been scheduled for July 12 at 1pm in the Public Assembly Room of the City County Building.

Neighbors are encouraged to provide feedback concerning this request as to what position, or no position, you would like to see the neighborhood take regarding this variance request. You may provide your comments to progress@fallcreekplace.com by 5pm on Monday June 27. These comments will be compiled and submitted to the Board of Directors for consideration at their scheduled June 28th meeting.

Neighbors are also welcome to contact the City directly concerning this request by emailing the staff planner assigned to this case, Alexander Sulanke, at alexander.sulanke@indy.gov. Reference case #2011-UV2-010 in any correspondence. The public hearing is also open to the public.

Note that this variance request does not address two other controversial Oaks Academy-related issues you may be aware of, including the potential sale of residential building lots along Broadway and the recent construction of a gravel parking lot. This request is solely for the conversion of the house from residential to classroom use.

Oaks Academy Zoning Variance Request 2327 Broadway

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 12:33:00 GMT

The Oaks Academy, a private school located in our neighborhood at 2301 Park Avenue, has requested a zoning variance for the use of a home at 2327 North Broadway Street for educational uses, including offices, meetings, and one middle-school classroom. Such uses are not permitted in the D-8 residential zoning district.

In layman's terms, the school would like to convert an existing house into a classroom.

While a public hearing of the Indianapolis Board of Zoning Appeals has been scheduled for June 14, a request for an automatic continuance to a July hearing date has been submitted. We will provide an updated date when it is available.

A neighborhood meeting with the Oaks Academy concerning this request has been scheduled for Monday, June 20th at 5:30pm at the Oaks Academy, 2301 Park Avenue. Interested neighbors are encouraged to attend to discuss this variance request.

Neighbors are encouraged to provide feedback concerning this request as to what position, or no position, you would like to see the Board of Directors take regarding this variance request. Feedback is best provided at or after the June 20th neighborhood meeting so that you have complete information, but you may provide your comments to progress@fallcreekplace.com at any time. These comments will be compiled and submitted to the Board of Directors for consideration at their scheduled June 28th meeting.

This information will also be hand-delivered to all residents living within a block of the variance request, as is standard with all Progress Team notices.

Parking/Gas Station Zoning Requests in HMP and ONS

Tue, 31 May 2011 05:10:00 GMT

Two controversial zoning cases from nearby neighborhoods may be of interest to some neighbors.

On Tuesday June 1^st, the Historic Preservation Commission will again hear a case relating to a church parking lot. The issue has come before the neighborhood several times over the past decade, and the Old Northside has again voted to oppose the project. Below is an email from Doug Sapp, the Vice President of the Old Northside, explaining the position and including a link to a petition.

Grace Missionary Baptist Church is once again filing for an application to merge 1502, 1508, 1514 and 1520 Carrollton Ave and 722 and 726 E 15th St into a large asphalt parking lot. This would consume over 22% of the block and add parking where none is needed. There is enough on street parking within 100 yards to accommodate the entire congregation. Historically the church there used on street parking. In order to get approval to build the new church, they made commitments to IHPC and the ONS that they would not use the land for parking.

If you can not make it to the hearing tomorrow June 1st, 5:30pm at the City County Building, please take a minute to go over the facts on our online petition. If you do not support the creation of an excessively large parking lot in a historic downtown neighborhood, please sign our petition.

You can view this petition at: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/668/803/484/

Secondly, a gas station has again been proposed for the northwest corner of 16^th and Central. A similar station was denied a year or two ago. In the current case, the Herron Morton neighborhood has taken no position, while the Old Northside has voted to oppose the station. This case is scheduled for hearing by the Historic Preservation Commission on July 6^th.

Plans for $32M development near Herron-Morton Place neighborhood move forward

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 02:44:00 GMT

From the IBJ

A $32 million plan to replace a troubled low-income housing project at 16th Street and Park Avenue cleared a final hurdle Wednesday at a hearing of the Metropolitan Development Commission. The development arm of the not-for-profit Indianapolis Housing Agency, Insight Development Corp., plans to redevelop the complex to better connect with the Herron-Morton Place neighborhood. The agency bought the failed co-op called Caravelle Commons in 2009. The 1970s suburban- style complex at 1643 N. Park Ave. sits in the middle of a historic urban neighborhood and invites crime with dead-end streets and fenced- in apartment homes that surround crowded parking lots. The more urban replacement, slated to break ground in October, is dubbed 16 Park on renderings from locally based Domain Architecture (click on the images for larger versions). The housing agency, which administers the federal Section 8 program, used a grant of about $400,000 from a city housing trust fund to acquire the property and begin drawing up redevelopment plans. The agency has won stimulus grants and low-income housing tax credits it expects to apply to the project’s cost.

Grocery Store Proposed for 24th/Meridian

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 10:43:00 GMT

A grocery store has been proposed to occupy a renovated building on the west side of Meridian Street just south of 24th Street. The Progress Team Coordinator is working on getting site plans and elevation renderings of the building, and possibly a developer presentation to interested neighbors. A zoning hearing on the project is slated for July 13 because the project is requesting a variance of development standards for reduced parking (62 parking spaces, 118 required) and accessory uses equaling 42% of the gross floor area (25% max permitted). Click here to download a project narrative and site plans.

Please direct any comments to progress@fallcreekplace.com.

Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins Variance Request

Tue, 25 May 2010 09:11:00 GMT

A public hearing is set for June 1 for a proposed Dunkin Donuts and Baskin Robbins to be located in the former Bon Jour Café building at 2402 N Meridian St. Such a retail use is permitted, however, the drive thru they are requesting is prohibited by the Regional Center Zoning Ordinance which was established to transition Meridian Street, and Downtown, away from automobile-oriented uses. As such, the petitioner is requesting a variance from that ordinance to build a drive through (not permitted) and a variance of development standards to provide for four stacking spaces before and one stacking space after the drive-through (six stacking spaces required before and two stacking spaces required after).

The City of Indianapolis provides neighborhood organizations, as well as individual citizens, with opportunity to provide input regarding changes to and variances from land use decisions in their neighborhood. In Fall Creek Place, we do this through the Progress Team, which has a coordinator and whose membership is made up on a case by case basis of any neighbor who has an opinion on the case. The coordinator gathers input and forwards it to the HOA Board of Directors with a recommendation on a neighborhood position. The neighborhood can choose to support or oppose the case, or take no position.

The Fall Creek Place Progress Team solicits your input regarding any position, or no position, the neighborhood should take regarding this petition. If you have thoughts please share them by emailing progress@fallcreekplace.com or by sharing them publicly in the discussion forums on the neighborhood website at http://www.fallcreekplace.com.

Variance Petition for 2203 Broadway

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 08:31:00 GMT

The owner of 2203 Broadway Street (King Park Area Development Corporation) is seeking a variance to provide for a parking lot, with a three-foot setback along the alley and a five foot setback along 22nd Street, with a trash enclosure with a 1.5 foot setback from the alley (15 foot perimeter side yard required and 40- foot front yard required). This is to construct the parking lot as part of the historic Gramse Building renovation from apartments into condominiums. The public hearing will be at 1pm on Tuesday December 1 in the Public Assembly Room at the City County Building. Comments can be directed to Planner Ryan Hunt at 327-5241 or rhunt@indy.gov.

Variance Petition for 2537 N Pennsylvania

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 07:54:00 GMT

The owner of 2537 N Pennsylvania is seeking a variance to legally establish a home that was built with an 8 foot aggregate side yard setback (10 feet required). A 2000 variance was approved for an aggregate 8.3 foot side setback, but the current owner discovered the house was constructed with only an 8 foot setback. He is seeking to legally establish the house as built with such 8 foot setback, a difference of 3.6 inches. The public hearing will be at 1pm on Tuesday November 24 in the Public Assembly Room at the City County Building. Comments can be directed to Planner Jeff York at 327-5847 or jyork@indy.gov.

Grocery, housing projects could rejuvenate stretch of 16th Street

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 02:41:00 GMT

From the Indianapolis Business Journal

A troubled low-income housing project called Caravelle Commons has a new owner with plans to redevelop the complex to better connect with the Herron Morton Place neighborhood.

Next door, the grocery chain Kroger has revived efforts to acquire land and plan a new supermarket at 16th and Central Avenue to replace a cramped, old-format location. The chain bought the corner a few years ago, closed on a vacant parcel that was previously part of Caravelle earlier this year, and is negotiating with the owner of another vacant lot.

Together, the developments could represent a turning point for a blighted stretch of 16th Street that has bedeviled the surrounding neighborhood for years. Community groups aren’t getting hopes up just yet; talk of redevelopment along the stretch has been buzzing for at least a decade.

But they are encouraged by plans to either drastically revamp or replace the 65-unit Caravelle, which sits on about seven acres north of 16th Street between Central and College avenues.

The Indianapolis Housing Agency bought the complex in March from the Near North Development Corp., which took over the failed co-op in 2003. Near North stepped in to refinance, renovate and stabilize the property with an eye toward eventually selling it to a more appropriate owner, said Michael Osborne, the group’s president.

FULL STORY

22 on Delaware Zoning Information

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 07:27:00 GMT

The Fall Creek Place Progress Team is distributing zoning information to you as a courtesy regarding a zoning variance request for the 22 on Delaware project at 2205 N Delaware Street. We value your feedback and ask for your help in forming a neighborhood response to this public notice.

Click here to download the information packet.

You can email comments to progress@fallcreekpl ace. com or drop them in the Progress Team Coordinator’s mailbox at 2433 N Delaware St. The HOA board will consider your comments in deciding if it is appropriate to support, oppose, or remain silent on this request. Regardless of any official HOA position, individual neighbors are always able to express their individual opinions directly to the Board of Zoning Appeals. Any such letters should reference petition number 2009-DV3-030 and be directed to city staff Melanie Mullens (327-5848 or mrmullen@indy.gov). Note that while the public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday September 22 at 1pm at the City County Building, the petitioner has informed us of their intent to request to continue the hearing to October 13th at the same time and location in order to provide adequate time for neighborhood feedback.

In the packet you will find information about the proposed building design, floorplans, and site plan as well as a letter from King Park detailing a list of zoning commitments the petitioner will file with the case. These commitments are enforceable conditions placed on the property for as long as the variances are in place, regardless of the owner, and exclude certain uses otherwise permitted by the zoning as well as hours of operation. Note that zoning itself restricts other uses for the site. The city’s zoning code is available online at http://www.indy.gov/egov/city/dmd/planning/zoning/P ages /municode.aspx.

Many of the variances were, to some extent, granted for this site previously based on an earlier commercial project proposal by Mansur Development. New variances are being sought because the character and materials of the building have substantially changed from that older proposal. Variances are required for almost any urban development project due to the nature of the Indianapolis zoning code, which generally favors separated, suburban-style development on large lots. Therefore variance requests should not necessarily cause concern that a particular development is inappropriate to a particular site. That determination should only be made after consideration of the actual proposal.

We strongly encourage you to contact Janine Betsey, the petitioner and Executive Director of King Park Area Development Corporation, if you have any questions or concerns. Janine can be reached at jbetsey@kpadc.org or 317- 924-8116 x3.

We encourage and welcome your opinions on this request and your help in forming a neighborhood response.