Carmel Land Use Committee Discusses Signature 55, Micromobility, Infrastructure – August 20, 2025
Land Use and Special Studies Committee Meeting Summary – August 20, 2025
The Carmel Land Use and Special Studies Committee met on August 20, 2025, at 5:30 PM at the Carmel Clay Public Library. The primary agenda items were two ordinances related to the proposed Signature 55 Carmel development (a 55+ age-restricted apartment project on Old Meridian Street), an update on a micromobility ordinance, and a review of multiple infrastructure projects funded by a 2024 bond. The committee voted unanimously to recommend the development ordinances to the full City Council with caveats regarding veteran incentives and continued collaboration with the VFW.
Public Comments & Testimony
- VFW Commander (speaking on behalf of the VFW's 437 members): Expressed 100% support for the Signature 55 project, stating that development in the area has boosted VFW membership (from 25 breakfasts to over 200) and financial stability. Noted the VFW is open to the public seven days a week and that increased foot traffic helps veterans. Supported the trail and park, and mentioned willingness to give up a small portion of their parking lot in exchange for hundreds of new public parking spots.
- Dakota (Strong Towns Carmel / micromobility advocate): Spoke in favor of careful regulation of e-bikes, urging the committee not to ban class three e-bikes (pedal-assist up to 28 mph) because reckless riding typically comes from throttle-equipped bikes or electric motorcycles. He noted that most people do not feel comfortable riding at maximum speed, and that a ban would penalize responsible riders. He asked that the ordinance reflect that class three bikes are not inherently dangerous and that enforcement should focus on behavior, not bike class.
Discussion Items
Signature 55 Carmel Development
- The project, known as Signature 55 Carmel, is an $88 million, 208-unit age-restricted apartment building (80% of leases must be with persons 55 or older per federal law). It will include 356 parking spaces, of which 75% will be open to the public (subject to reasonable rules). The developer, Henry, explained that the project will transfer 1.54 acres to the city’s parks department (valued by two appraisals) for a veterans-centric park and will construct public restrooms maintained by the developer. The park and building drainage will be coordinated to create a water feature.
- The development is located adjacent to the Carmel VFW and American Legion, intended to anchor a “flower district” with a north-south trail. The VFW commander confirmed the post is 100% supportive and noted that the VFW already offers a veteran service officer and a quiet space for veterans with PTSD.
- Council members questioned the absence of retail; the developer responded that retail could harm the VFW’s business and that parking ratios are tight. They also discussed parking ratios (1.2 persons per unit for 55+), the need for public restrooms near the VFW, and a potential roundabout at Old Meridian and the hotel entrance.
- Councilor Anita Joshi and others asked the developer to study financial incentives for veterans (e.g., discounted units). The developer agreed to take the request seriously but noted that the pro forma is “razor thin” and that even a small discount program would be feasible.
- The two action items were: (1) a bond resolution for up to $11 million (amended to a maximum rate of 9% from 8.5%) and (2) a land transaction where the CRC would purchase and transfer the 1.54 acres to the city. Councilor Matt called for an MOU to ensure the land is transferred to the parks department within a set timeframe; the committee agreed to pursue an MOU rather than amending the resolution to avoid complicating the intergovernmental transfer.
Micromobility Ordinance
- The committee discussed the draft ordinance regulating e-bikes on multi-use paths. Councilor Matt acknowledged that the current draft prohibits class three e-bikes, but this language will be changed. The intent is to give police discretion to cite reckless riders rather than banning specific bike classes. The ordinance will be introduced at a future City Council meeting (likely September 15) and then return to the Land Use Committee for further work.
Infrastructure Project Updates
- Councilor Matt led a review of the 19+ projects funded by the 2024 infrastructure bond, noting that many are behind schedule or have unclear budgets. Key points:
- 136th and Ironwood Drive roundabout: Design ongoing; utility marking delayed; pool demolition expected by end of August/early September.
- Carmel Drive/Kinzer connection: Design funding allocated at recent BPW; engineering wants a narrower road to slow traffic.
- Greenway Trail (Autumn): Designers hired; alignment meeting next week; land acquisition may be needed.
- Bear Creek Park: RFP to be issued next month, with goal of selecting developer by fall.
- Fire station 45 improvements: Contracts awarded; design kickoff imminent; construction targeted for spring 2026.
- River Road streetscape: Trail by Parks (Prairie) will be completed by year-end; coordination with Prairie’s work ongoing.
- 116th and River Road roundabout: Long-pending; status unclear.
- Monon crossings (106th and 116th): $250k stop-gap improvements; full tunnels/bridges (projects 18 and 19) are $10M+ each, awaiting federal funding.
- Councilor Matt expressed frustration that many projects lack final cost accounting and that $14 million originally allocated for a CCNO facility (project 29) must be reallocated because that project is delayed. He suggested using the funds for other infrastructure priorities, such as completing the Hazel Dell path or improvements to 116th Street.
- The committee agreed to request a comprehensive spreadsheet from the city engineer showing original budgets, contract amounts, and current status for all funded projects.
Key Outcomes
- Vote on Signature 55 Ordinances: The committee voted unanimously (4-0) to send the two ordinances to the full City Council with a positive recommendation, subject to the following caveats:
- The developer will research and propose financial incentives for veteran residents.
- The city will continue collaborating with the VFW on potential enhancements (e.g., public restrooms, signage, trail connections).
- An MOU will be developed to ensure the 1.54-acre park land is transferred to the parks department within a reasonable timeframe.
- Bond Resolution Amendment: The committee approved amending the bond resolution to allow a maximum interest rate of 9% (up from 8.5%) to give the developer flexibility in a volatile market.
- Micromobility Ordinance: The committee acknowledged that the current draft prohibition on class three e-bikes will be removed; the ordinance will be revised to focus on rider behavior. It will be introduced at City Council on September 15 and return to Land Use on September 17 for further refinement.
- Infrastructure Report: The committee requested that city staff provide an updated spreadsheet for all Tier 1 and Tier 2 projects, including original allocations, contract amounts, and completion status. Councilor Matt recommended reallocating $14 million from the stalled CCNO project to other ready-to-build infrastructure projects, such as the Hazel Dell path or 116th Street corridor improvements.
Meeting Transcript
It is 5 32. We will call the land use and special studies committee meeting on Wednesday, October 20th, 25. We have a lot on the agenda. We're going to do two things tonight. What? August. I think October. Oh, August 20th, 2025. Excuse me. 5 30 here at the library. On the agenda, we're going to get through two things, though, is what we're going to focus on tonight. One are two ordinances pertaining to a new development on Old Meridian Street. Colloquially known as for us up until now, the military, or excuse me, the Veterans Park development now being proposed is Signature 55 Carmel. One thing we do at all of our meetings is we go around and say who's here. Go ahead, okay. I'm resident in the left side. Mark Brandeman from Remark County. Matt Steiner, Council. Shannon Art, Council. Justin and Hammond, Deputy Clerk. Trevor Burrus. Uh second retreat and city book. I don't know if that's the redevelopment director. I don't ask your best. And Dr. Anita Joshi will be here shortly. Just ran into some traffic. So what we have is a little backstory. There was a development proposed directly next door to the home, home to you, home to suites hotel, and the Carmel VFW. Something started to go in and then fell apart. Myself and the colleagues on the council saw an opportunity to make it something more than just another mixed use development. Having a passion for supporting our veterans here in Carmel is at the top of the list for all of the council. And since we knew we were going to have a north-south trail, and since the BFW is there and American Legion is just north of there, we wanted to make this a veteran-centric trail. When this happened, that land became available. And of course, our primary desire would have been to buy the whole property. But the people of Carmel's tax dollars are not infinite, and we wanted to be good stewards of that money, build a public space that honored our veterans, but was also conscientious of people's hard-earned money and investments in property. Approached me in June, December, January, and said, Hey, what's going on? I said, Well, we're trying to figure out how to buy this property. And then it's going to be Henry, Chris, then. And then Henry said, Well, what if we could compromise? What if we could do a project which would offset your costs tremendously and you could build a better park and feel like everybody could accomplish their goals? That's what Henry's been working on for the last uh I don't know, six months, seven months, uh through many iterations. Um and I think he's financially put together a fantastic package for us and the people of Carmel. Now we're just gonna talk about what the product is. Um, everyone, Tom, do you want to kind of uh we kind of give an overview of the subcouncil? Um what do you kind of want to um I'll give the quick overview of 88 million dollar projects, 200 eight restricted units. So for anyone watching, that means 80% of these units have to have a 51 owner that's 55 or older. So I think federal guidelines for the developer is gonna um there's also a 12,000 programming space. Um the project provides 356 parking spaces, 75% of which will be open to the public at any time for time to serve, subject to reasonable rules, like partly for one. The project's also serving uh providing public bathrooms for parts that'll somewhere in a second, and uh the developer's gonna maintain those baths.
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