HomeMy WebLinkAboutProject DescriptionEXHIBIT “D’
EXPLANATION OF REQUEST
The Applicant, Edward Rose Properties, Inc., (“Edward Rose”) has filed a rezone request
pertaining to three (3) parcels of real estate that consist of approximately 22 acres that are located west
of and adjacent to Michigan Road, south of and adjacent to Outback Lane and north of and adjacent to
99th Street, and are identified per the records of the Hamilton County, Indiana Auditor’s Office as Tax
Parcel Identification Numbers: 17-13-07-00-10-007.000; 17-13-07-00-08-002.001; and, 17-13-07-00-
10-003.000 (collectively, the “Real Estate”).
By way of background, Edward Rose’s offices are located in Carmel and their Carmel
communities include Avant I & II and Alexandria (completed) which has been well-received by the
Carmel community and the Icon on Main community (currently under development).
The Real Estate is in close proximity to 96 th Street (the municipal boundary between
Indianapolis and Carmel) and the I-465 Interchange and is surrounded on all sides by various retail,
commercial, and office uses. The site is the former (now vacant) headquarters of Resort
Condominiums International (RCI) and is currently zoned I-1 Industrial and is within the US 421-
Michigan Road Overlay District. Edward Rose’s rezone application seeks to rezone the Real Estate
from its current zoning classification to the “US 421-WCD Planned Unit Development District” (the
“US 421-WCD PUD”) in order to permit a mixed-use, high-end development that will consist of a
Multi-family residential component and a commercial/retail component.
The US 421-WCD PUD proposes two (2) use districts. The Area A Use District, located
internal to the Real Estate and consisting of approximately 20 acres, will have I-1 Industrial as its
underlying base zoning classification and will include the Multi-family residential component of the
development. The Area B Use District, located directly west of and adjacent to Michigan Road and
consisting of approximately 2-acres, will have B-3 Business as its underlying base zoning
classification and will be subject to the US 421- Michigan Road Overlay District development
standards. The Area B Use District will permit various Retail/Service related uses, as well as
Cultural/Entertainment related uses.
The Multi-family residential component in Area A is desirable given that it is not adjacent or
nearby any other existing residential uses and includes a combination of attractive attributes, including
but not limited to: thoughtful architectural design; options for 1, 2 and 3 bedroom units; a mixture of
building types (3-story buildings and 4-story buildings with attached garages); walkable streetscapes
and well-designed common areas and open spaces; high-end interior and exterior finishes; market
leading amenities; the availability (within walking distance) of retail businesses and restaurants; and,
an engaging site design including a centralized water feature that will be pedestrian and resident
friendly. All of these attributes combined will provide a strong sense of place and an outstanding
living experience for its residents.
Regarding amenities, Edward Rose has paid particular attention to the existing wooded area on
the northwest portion of the site that will be preserved and utilized as open space. Regarding open
space, the community will have approximately 5 acres of open space, which comprises of over 20% of
the Real Estate. The community includes a centrally located clubhouse which will include a pool,
sundeck, and cabanas, as well as a large roof top terrace. FlexHub private co-working office spaces
are also provided, including private conference rooms, and workstations. Additional amenities include
a performance gym and yoga facilities, an event suite, fire pits and fire tables with seating, grilling
areas with counters, indoor and outdoor game areas, a pet grooming spa and leash-free pet parks, EV
charging stations and other gathering spaces around the community.
COMREHENSIVE PLAN STATEMENT
The Real Estate is within the US 421-Michigan Road Overlay District, which permits
residential uses (such as Multi-family residential) on up to 50% of a project’s gross floor area on
parcels where residential uses are not permitted pursuant to the base underlying zoning district. As a
result, a Multi-family residential component on a portion of the Real Estate is generally compatible and
consistent with the US 421-Michigan Road Overlay District. Further, considering there are no other
existing residential uses in close proximity to the Real Estate, Edward Rose believes that providing
more full-time residents in this area would provide an additional customer base to the local restaurants
and businesses along this segment of Michigan Road - including positive night-time impacts during the
work week and on the weekends.
The 2022 Comprehensive Plan Development Patterns Map designates the Real Estate as being
within a “Gateway” area. The purpose of “Gateway” areas, as set out in the Comprehensive Plan, is to
provide large lot mixed-use and commercial areas, including residential uses, along or near access
points into Carmel. The “Gateway” area encourages characteristics that include, but are not limited to:
parking lot placement that avoids placement between the fronts of buildings and road rights-of-way to
shield views of parking areas from adjacent public roadways; buildings that face/address a frontage
street; pedestrian-friendly sidewalks or paths designed to facilitate safe pedestrian circulation; future
outlot or infill development opportunities; open space areas including greenways, courtyards and
buffers; and, buildings up to 5-stories that include patios and lobby areas.
The US 421-WCD PUD meets many of the objectives and purposes of a “Gateway” area by
providing a mixed-use development (including a residential component and retail/commercial
component) on a larger parcel that is at a “gateway” into Carmel (the Michigan Road corridor from
Indianapolis into Carmel via 96th Street and the I-465 Interchange). Edward Rose’s site design
includes the positioning of parking areas so that they are shielded from view from the adjacent public
roadways, the buildings face/address internal street frontages, the inclusion of outdoor patios on the
residential buildings, including a roof top community terrace, an internal pedestrian system that is
designed to facilitate safe pedestrian circulation, the inclusion of a 2-acre outlot to be developed for
future retail/commercial uses, providing thoughtful open space and common areas throughout the
community (including a well-designed centralized water feature), tree preservation on the northwestern
portion of the site, as well as other high-quality amenity offerings to its residents.