HomeMy WebLinkAboutLetter #18 Enzo Lundy1. Sense of Place:
a. This development does not look or feel any different than what you would find in hundreds
of cities across America. There is also a copious amount of pavement. I would suggest
planting more trees or forming the buildings in a way that creates a sense of enclosure
through communal spaces. These spaces are where people meet each other and get to know
where they live, which can build community and neighborhood pride. Some existing
examples in Carmel for inspiration could be the apartments at the Ronald Reagon Green of
the West Clay Village and the Seasons of Carmel Apartments on Westfield Blvd.
2. Spatial Organization:
a. One of the first aspects that stood out to me was the location of the pool. Instead of being
near the center of the development, it is at the entrance. Simply moving this into the center
of the apartments would create a more visible and private community gathering place.
Another aspect is how the buildings are separated from each other by large parking lots.
This is not a great view from your apartment window, and it discourages people from
walking across these car-dominated spaces. I would suggest putting parking on the sides of
the buildings and/or converting some parking lots into perpendicular on-street parking.
3. Opportunities for Future Development:
a. I argue that the current proposal inefficiently uses too much land, which decreases the
opportunities for future infill development -- that is, if the city would want infill
housing/parks/commercial/office spaces. In any case, with the current setup, it would be
difficult for this development to adapt to changes to the city's and residents' future needs
and market demands.
4. Future Mobility Needs:
a. As we see pedestrian/bike infrastructure make headlines (e.g. the Monon Trail
improvements in Downtown Carme) I believe we should be thinking about the future
mobility of areas outside of Downtown Carmel in terms of biking/walking as well.
Regarding REI's current proposal, there is good sidewalk connections to existing
infrastructure. However, in some places, there are gaps in sidewalk connections in the
development itself. I realize this is only the first proposal from REI, but I would like to see
the buildings themselves get direct connections to street sidewalks and the trail around the
expanded pond. I discuss this more in my attachments to this email.