HomeMy WebLinkAboutDepartment Report 10-18-221
CARMEL PLAN COMMISSION
DEPARTMENT REPORT
OCTOBER 18, 2022
F. Communications, Bills, Expenditures, & Legal Council Report
Plan Commission to ratify City Council amended version of
1. Docket No. PZ-2021-00177 CP: Carmel Clay Comprehensive Plan Update.
The applicant seeks to update and reformat the Carmel Clay Comprehensive Plan. Filed by the Department of
Community Services on behalf of the Carmel Plan Commission.
Summary of Council Amendments: Please view the informational packet for the full list of Council Amendments.
Council Process Overview:
The City Council held its initial public hearing on Monday, April 18th. After several public comments and councilor
questions, the proposed plan (Draft #4) was sent to the Land Use and Special Studies Committee for further review. The
Committee held a total of four meetings. The first two meetings consisted of staff presenting the document along with
questions and discussion by the Committee. At the third and fourth meetings, the committee discussed and recommended
specific revisions to the plan resulting in Drafts #5 and #6. The committee returned the recommended Draft #6 back to
the full Council with a favorable recommendation. On Monday, October 3rd, the Council further revised and approved
what is now titled Draft #7.
DOCS Comments/Concerns:
The Council worked diligently to ensure that important multi-use path connections were either present on or added to
Mobility and Pedestrian Plan Map (page 69).
Based on public feedback received during both the Plan Commission and Council review periods, it was not surprising
that further revisions were made to some of the proposed Objectives (pages 18-23), or that additional Typical Corridors
would be removed from the Development Patterns Map (page 40) in response to some concerns surrounding single-
family neighborhoods.
DOCS is not in support of two of the Council’s amendments to the plan as we believe these to not be in the best interest of
planning for the long term:
1. The reduction of maximum building height from 3 stories to 1 story along the river in the White River
Development Pattern (pages 34 & 43).
• The White River Vision Plan (2019) establishes a variety of guiding principles to balance development
and preservation along the river while bolstering positive social, economic and ecological change.
Ecologically, White River is important to Carmel and the region with few buildable areas along the river
due to floodplain restrictions. This allows for most of the area along the river to be a great setting for
passive recreation, along which Carmel Clay Parks and Recreation is actively planning and looking for
opportunities. However, setting a character of only 1 story buildings along the river doesn’t necessarily
further the ecological objectives of this Comprehensive Plan nor the White River Vision Plan. In fact,
establishing a character of 1 story buildings could be contrary to some of the social and economic guiding
principles intended to draw people to the river or build economic strength and identity.
2. The removal of two proposed street connections on the Thoroughfare Plan Map (page 57).
• While neither of these connections are likely to occur in the short term, there is value to including them
on the map in the event of development in the area.
Recommendation:
The Department of Community Services recommends the Plan Commission either continues this for further review
and discussion, or if no further discussion is needed, votes to Approve the Council’s amendments this evening.
If further discussion is needed, then we recommend convening a meeting either prior to the November 1 committees or
the November 15 regular Plan Commission meeting.