HomeMy WebLinkAboutLetter #01 Teri Morning1
Crediford, Maggie
From:Teri Morning <tmtraining@yahoo.com>
Sent:Sunday, December 18, 2016 1:33 PM
To:Crediford, Maggie
Subject:Regarding variance at 106 St lot.
Hello Ms. Crediford,
As a homeowner in Lexington Farms, I would hope there would be a compelling reason for any
building variances granted for our residential area. However, in the case of HAND building housing on
the small lot on 106th Street, it appears there is no such compelling reason. In fact building low
income housing a mere few miles from Indianapolis would be a disadvantage to both those in the
units and the homeowners in the area.
Location
Home Place (HP) is a residential area with no walkable services. There is no public transportation in
Hamilton County. You can’t even hardly get a taxi in Carmel unless going to the airport.
Carmel has a walkability score of only 17. In the HP area around the Hand property, residents spend
between 15 and 30 minutes commuting one-way to work and 91.8% drive alone in a private
automobile.
HP is merely a few miles from an area of Indianapolis that has many apartment complexes that
provide low-income housing. Those Indianapolis areas are near public transportation, food stores and
other service such as the Post Office. HP has no such services close to the variance area.
There is no reason to build dedicated low income housing merely a couple miles across the Hamilton
County line just to say you did. Moving people into low-income housing in Home Place would move
them merely a few miles north and strand them without transportation, food stores, services or even
employment.
Lot size
The size of the 2.4 acre lot in a residential area does not sufficiently support a 10 unit/2 bedroom
w/patio structure. It not just 10 units that will be built. Such a structure needs parking for 20+
residents, entry/exit roads to the units and parking structures. There will also need to be room for
sidewalks and landscaping.
Predators and vulnerable populations
According to the Hamilton County Sheriffs website there are sexual offenders living next to the
proposed lot, 10550 McPherson St, 10515 McPherson St., F and 10515 McPherson St.,B. Most of
the sexual offenders in Carmel already seem to live in HP.
Now Hand wants to build a facility and house a vulnerable population right next door.
Over the years there have regularly been many registered sexual offenders moving in and out of
those addresses. This is not a singular event at that address. I’ve always wondered why on earth
those predators are allowed to live together.
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Predators sense when people are vulnerable. Low income and/or elderly makes one vulnerable.
What’s a stranded desperate person without transportation going to do when they need emergency
child care or a ride to get food or go to the doctor? Ask one of those “friendly neighbors” to watch their
kids or drive them?
City Planning
Using Home Place for such purposes will not advance the long-term goals Carmel has for the
College/106 corridor.
On social media, HP's reputation, already is that of “run down” and “blighted.”
My hope since I moved to Lexington Farms in 1997 is that offers would be made to properties in the
College/106 corridor or that Carmel would annex and clean up the blighted parts of Home Place.
The Hand units while nice appear from the outside as utilitarian and institutional in nature, units. Not
residential properties.
Aesthetically, such a crowded structure will “stick out” in what is primarily a single-family homes
residential area. While the College corridor may eventually be multiple housing units, this unit is far
enough from College that it will “stick out” and not in a visual appealing manner.
People move to Hamilton County hoping their property values will at least be steady. Building
institutional looking, low-income housing properties crowded onto a small lot next to sexual predators
living in already run down apartments do not help property values.
Funding
Due to the extreme change in political climate combined with HAND’s dependence on grants to
function, is there any certainty that HAND will be able to maintain the property? Who will maintain the
property if HAND does not?
All apartments look nice when new. What will it look like at 10 years?
Employment
There are no employers in Home Place. The planned location is not even close to any employers
except the Medical Corridors. The only place to work is at a couple small businesses on 106 and
College. No place to work and no way to get there.
Food and Necessities
The only food store within miles of HP is a single gas station’s convenience store. The closet grocery
stores are over 2 miles. There is no place within miles like Target or Walmart to get other necessities
of living.
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Thank You,
Teri Morning, (317) 566-1282