HomeMy WebLinkAboutLetter #59 Jerry KirkMy name is Jerry Kirk. My wife and I recently sold our home of 32 years in the Claridge Farm
neighborhood, which is just west of Jackson’s Grant. We have seen much development nearby,
including the neighborhoods of the Village of West Clay, Clay Springs, and Jackson’s Grant, as
well as the Bridges retail area and Clay Center Elementary School. In our experience, exis�ng
residents o�en object to new development in their area, no mater how recently they
themselves moved in. We consider ourselves generally to be pro-growth and feel that many
new neighborhood developments have been beneficial to Carmel. We appreciate the
though�ul work by local government agencies such as the Planning Commission.
We now are building a townhome in JG Village. The idea of being within walking distance to
shops and restaurants was one of the appeals of this neighborhood. We understand that being
“early-in” on this development means we do not know what types of businesses will come to
the neighborhood. We also understand from personal experience that day care is a pressing
need for young families.
That being said, we have concerns about the proposed daycare facility.
First is the increased traffic in the area and the flow into and out of the daycare. In this regard,
I strongly agree with the concerns raised by Commissioner Zoccola at the Commercial
Commitee mee�ng on February 6th. As JG Village is more of an empty-nester type of
development, I believe few residents will u�lize the daycare. Most families traveling to the
daycare will drop off or pick up their children at the heaviest traffic �mes near rush hour.
Turning right or especially le� onto 116th street from the south entrance to JG Village will be
challenging to say the least. I think it instead is likely that traffic would flow through JG Village
and Jackson’s Grant.
Secondly, I am concerned about the parking spaces needed to support such a facility. Sixty
addi�onal parking spaces will be an unsightly addi�on to the Village, especially on the
weekend when the daycare is not in use. It seems contrary to the original idea for upscale
retail such as restaurants or an art gallery. Another concern is whether parking will be
adequate for the facility. Comparisons to other daycare facili�es in Carmel have been made in
previous mee�ngs. In my opinion, a comparable center would be the Primrose School in West
Clay which has 203 students and a staff of about 50. Extrapola�ng from this, it seems that a
center with 160 students would need at least 40 parking spaces for staff. It is unclear to me
whether the proposed 60 spaces would be sufficient, or whether parking would spill over into
the neighborhood. That needs to be addressed.
Thank you for the opportunity to address the Commission.