HomeMy WebLinkAboutLetter #14 Kate BoxellKate Boxell
9648 Wild Cherry Lane
Carmel, IN 46280
August 12, 2022
To: Carmel Planning Commission Members
Re:Docket No. PZ-2022-00117 PUD: 96th and Haverstick PUD Rezone
Dear Planning Commission Members,
My husband and I purchased our first home in the spring of 2020 on Wild Cherry Lane in Carmel. While
the home itself was dated, the large lot and surrounding neighborhood was lush with trees and wildlife; a
tranquil space in an otherwise suburban area. We were thrilled to discover this quiet neighborhood and
have spent the last two years marveling that such a robust ecosystem thrives so close to 465. This is the
environment we chose to invest in for our future.
After we bought our house in 2020, we looked into what potential developments might happen along the
96th street corridor, considering our home is directly adjacent. We were pleased to learn that the Wild
Cherry corner woods property was zoned such that nothing larger than two stories could be built. This
gave us a realistic expectation that informed our plans for our home. We have started to remodel our home
using savings and our own blood, sweat and tears, gradually building a safe place where we can raise our
future children.
Now, I am beginning to realize how malleable zoning is, and that there doesn’t seem to be any real
protection for Carmel residents on the outskirts of one and two story neighborhoods. This is discouraging,
because I have invested in a vision of raising my family in our safe neighborhood of green space and
wildlife. It feels like a bait and switch, in which the city of Carmel cares more about new horizons and
dollars than about protecting its existing environment and residents.
I know you will hear pleas from my neighbors about saving the trees, protecting our neighborhood from
the noise of 465, protecting the diverse wildlife that call Wild Cherry home, as well as various safety
concerns. I echo these sentiments while also recognizing that Wild Cherry corner woods is a unique
development opportunity. I am not wholly anti-development. Rather, I am optimistic that measured and
environmentally-conscious development has the potential to feed into our local economy. On this
foundation, my main objections to the proposed development on Wild Cherry corner woods are that it is
too tall and too dense. This will mean the destruction of mature trees and endangered wildlife habitat,
while at the same time destroying peace and safety in our small, quiet neighborhood. I am also very
concerned about what this would mean for those of us on well water.
Estridge claims that the development “would be a part of the firm’s City Life portfolio, which focuses on
more urban, walkable areas” (IBJ). This description of our neighborhood could not be further from reality.
Those who live in the Chesterton neighborhood and adjacent areas chose these spaces for their large lot
sizes, smaller homes, and ample green space. It is disheartening that those with the largest dollar spend
may be given license to change the very essence of what our neighborhood is.
I urge the planning commission to carefully consider the many concerns of this proposed development.
For such a valuable piece of property to be rezoned is a weighty decision that affects residents’ lives, not
to mention our fragile environment. I would support a more responsible development that is in line with
the existing neighborhood: one or two story buildings, less dense, and more trees/wilderness habitat.
Sincerely,
Kate Boxell