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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCorrespondence: Remonstrance : - f R EM :\i\ NEIGHBORS! I m 23 2000 E_ --, ref. >, . AS you niay be aware, a petition for a special use variance on the vacant property _Rn hei northwest corner of 96th Street and Spring Mill Road has been submitted--to the Carmel Board of Zoning Appeals. Heartland Coalition has taken a position of opposition to the proposed retirement community. The concept appears plausible at first look; however, the density of 234 apartments is objectionable. The density would place the "highest use density" immediately adjacent to the lowest residential property use. There are many other technical issues that Heartland Coalition questions. There will be a Technical Advisory Committee meeting on August 16th, BUT it is NOT necessary that the public attend. We will not have the opportunity for public input at this meeting. Be assured, we will have a representative at this meeting, solely to evaluate the activity of the committee and the petitioner. Please mark your calendar for August 28th, 7PM, at the Carmel Government Center. This proposal will be on the agenda for the full Board of Zoning Appeals meeting. Heartland feels that we should have a presence at this meeting. We do not know where this proposal will fall on the agenda. We will inform you of a more accurate time frame as the date approaches. Heartland Coalition is working hard to protect the interests of all residents who live on or near the intersection of 96th and Meridian Streets. We're sure you appreciate the fact that property development for vacant sites along 96th Street, near 96th and Meridian, may ignite far reaching and negative complications for all residential properties on the north side of Indianapolis and the southern edge of Hamilton County. PLEASE NOTE— We understand that Duke Weeks will file a new petition for the vacant property on the northeast corner of 96th & Spring Mill Road, possibly as early as this Friday! We have been invited to. review their proposal, and will keep you apprised. Heartland will continue to work with Nora/Northside Community and Clay West Information Councils to protect and preserve the residential neighborhoods in which we live. Don't hesitate to contact us if you have questions or concerns. Thank you. Heartland Board Members: Gerry Wagner Ruth Hayes Pam Lambert Mark Ratterman 848-7242 253-9191 844-5511 581-0557 Statement of Gregory K. Silver, Counsel for The Heartland Coalition Before Carmel/Clay Planning Commission. December 19, 2000 bte '411110 19 2010 0 Oes The Duke-Weeks Project in Case 154-00-Z is an oversized, oversold and overbearing project for the adjourning and adjacent neighborhoods and all of us, north in Carmel/Clay and south in Indianapolis,who use the intersections of 96th and Meridian and I-465 at Meridian. Its negative effects on Springmill Road, 96th Street, College Av.and as far north as 116th Street and as far south as 86th Street will be felt for the rest of our lives, our children's lives, our grandchildren's lives and as long as we exist here. You know that. But you want the money too much to see the reality that you create. The basis for the change from residential and less dense commercial to intense commercial is simply and completely 100% a grab for the false promise and hope of Shangrala and for the treasury of Carmel to increase. But the price paid for this project in traffic, noise, pollution and congestion far outweighs the profit for Duke-Weeks and for.Carmel's tax base. You see, we all will suffer from this. You, up there, will be caught in the traffic created by your own decision here as will your families and friends as well as us.Yes, in the not too distant future you too will be degraded by the consequences. Will we not learn from the lessons of Castleton and Clearwater as to congestion and especially so when this is today in residential areas similar to what you have sought to protect in your neighborhood or other such areas where residences must be protected. There is no protection given here to the residents. Why are the investments of the residents to be treated with such disdain by your decision. The decision to approve this as good land use is a farce. It is petitioner's own engineer that says all will be fine with the traffic, not the remonstrator's expert nor Carmel's hired engineer John Myers, who basically agrees that theFFF category will apply at I-465 and Meridian Street in the AM because of this project and level of service "D" at 96th and Meridian from it as well. You know your own resolution requires level of service "C" or better for this project, don't you? You know that's your binding law. The quality of life that is cherished by the neighborhoods surrounding this site and the taxes they pay in both Hamilton and Marion Counties are 2 being damaged by you tonight if you approve this. Make no mistake about it, So many of us have strived to build quality living in this area. You are taking that away now by allowing this perverse density all for money. And what of the reliance of the nearby residents for residential use of part of this subject property as they developed long ago into fine homes. Are we to throw this all away or at least create driving nightmares for them? Why do this density to them, why do they deserve it? And what have you done here to stop this obvious piecemeal development with the north and east quadrants owned by the same person still being out there for development. Can't you see what these developers are doing to your orderly mandated growth? You would damage perfectly wonderful residential areas . Why? For Whom? For What? It can only be for money. Otherwise, this makes no sense at all. The question then is this:is there no limit? Is there no guilt when you depreciate your neighbor's investments with this overly dense project. What are you doing to yourselves and to us? 3 If you approve this, the action of this Planning Commission for the record ,based on facts you perceive so far , violates the state enabling act by increasing traffic congestion in the public way and creates private and public nuisances in the guise of legal zoning and in so doing it diminishes the residential values of the area so that your actions are "arbitrary and capricious" . Residential communities are not compatible with 5 story commercial buildings allowing their intense uses, expanded lanes, more and more traffic with its "train of cars" from I-465 to pour into this area. This attack upon the residential character of the area will have to stop now as it is an impediment to health, safety and welfare of all residences in the area on both sides of the county line by its density. For the above reasons, an approval made here tonight is illegal and we will not stand for it. 4 i HEARTLAND COALITION RECEIVED \° UNRESOLVED ISSUES IN DUKE CASE: NOV 14 November 14, 2000 "CS I. THIS DEVELOPMENT ON THE SUBJECT PROPERTY IS PREMA There is still great uncertainty regarding INDOT plans. ` - g •There will be extreme congestion at the Meridian Street/1465 interchange until INDOT completes construction of a new interchange which may not occur for many years . The added traffic from the proposed development would greatly exacerbate this problem. •If INDOT does not take the land currently reserved for interchange construction, the petitioner, in accordance with the terms of its request for rezone, will likely exercise its right to build an additional 56,100 square feet of office space. The additional development will alter the parking ratio, and the augmented traffic congestion will negatively impact the 1465 interchange in direct correlation to the increased square footage. II. THIS IS A PIECEMEAL APPROACH TO THE TOTAL UNDEVELOPED LAND USE ISSUE WITH THE ULTIMATE RESULT BEING UNWANTED URBAN SPRAWL. When studying traffic impacts, this Committee must also consider the yet to be developed two quadrants located at 1465 and Meridian Street and also to give regard to other potential developments along the 96th Street corridor which would further impact traffic congestion. At the least, any PUD Ordinance considered for the quadrant in question should incorporate commitments and/or stipulations, to run with the land, such stipulations to prohibit future zoning petitions or variances, other than "down zones", from the existing zoning on the NW and SE quadrants where 1465 and US 31 intersect. III. THE TOTAL SQUARE FOOTAGE DRIVES THE TRAFFIC ISSUE. While the density may not approach what would be considered "high" in downtown Indianapolis, it is too high for the conditions of the area affected by the petition. Any development which results in inevitable traffic congestion contradicts the Indiana Enabling Act. IV. THERE IS NO CLARIFICATION/COMMITMENT THAT THE PETITIONER WILL GUARANTEE THERE WILL BE NO DEVIATION OR EXCEPTIONS FROM PROPOSED USES. As an example, heliports and cell towers are totally incompatible uses with the residential character of the surrounding property. December 19, 2000lvem DEG 19 2000 doa Carmel/Clay Plan Commission City Hall 1 Civic Square Carmel, IN 46032 Re: Docket# 154-00Z3i Parkwood Crossing West PUD Dear Members: My name is Gerald L. Wagner. My wife, Patricia P. Wagner and I reside at 211 West 96th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46260-1423. Our telephone number is 848-7242. Your approval of the proposed Parkwood Crossing West PUD, a Duke-Weeks commercial development, is a retraction of earlier commitments by Carmel governmental officials to maiztain the property zoned as residential. Rezoning to commercial will have an adverse impact on editing residential properties. Preliminary discussion with residential appraisers suggests that my property, as well as others in the affected area, will experience a significant devaluation. In addition, the area will experience a significant increase in traffic congestion and a subsequent decrease in the overall quality of life for residents in the area. Please be apprised that we, along with our neighbors, plan to hold any governmental entity, including its members, accountable if this proposal is approved. cze Gerald L. Wagner Reasonable Residential Roadways Position :Statt ' t n Members of the Carmel Planning Commission: p 4g 2OO� To: The M 9 D� From: The Reasonable Residential Roadways Committee (RRRC); an association;of unincorporated petitioners. - ,-, We respectfully request that the Commission reject the petition of Duke/Weeks concerning the rezoning that is necessary to develop Parkwood West. We ask that you retain the current zoning which best accommodates: 1) the quality of life of the surrounding communities 2) the traffic congestion of the intersections at 96th and Meridian and the 1-465 and Meridian intersection 3) reasonable traffic distribution concerning the roads in the surrounding residential communities The traffic studies presented by Duke/Weeks are not consistent with the remonstrants' traffic studies and common sense would lead reasonable people to conclude that adding over 2000 more vehicles to a commercial property is like adding fuel to an already-out-of-control fire. The neighborhoods affected by this petition have substantial financial investments in their properties which can only be negatively effected by the Duke/Weeks petition. It is time to protect the Clay West countryside residential community and the beautiful Marion County/Spring Mill community to the south of Clay West. Carmel government needs to retain the current zoning standards for the southwest quadrant. The current zoning maintains the integrity and quality of life that the current Clay West community provides for the greater City of Carmel. The high cost of land drives the developer to high-density commercial property development. The high tax base makes it easy for governments to say yes. This results in the property owners of the beautiful Clay West community losing its valued quality of life. Smart growth and Smart government must maintain zoning standards to protect such valued communities against such high density commercial property development. Clay West is a crown jewel and high-tax-paying community. It doesn't make good sense to endanger the long term growth of Clay West in order to satisfy an aggressive developer. This certainly is a step backward for annexation. Please reject the Parkwood West development, as is now proposed, and maintain the current zoning which is appropriate for the surrounding communities. We request that this statement be a part of the minutes. .._e___).\.A.,<) Sincerely, Carlyle A. Wilson II for the Reasonable Residential Roadways Committee