The honorable council of the city of Evansville is hereby called to order.

Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

Councilman Trackman.

Councilman Chuckman.

Can we come back?

There we go.

Here.

All right.

Councilwoman Taylor?

Here.

Councilman Hieronymus.

Here.

Councilwoman Hatfields?

Here.

Councilwoman Kaylor Lindsay.

Here.

Councilman Brickmeyer?

Here.

Councilman Green?

Here.

Councilman Johnson?

Here.

Councilwoman Allen.

Here.

There being nine members present, zero members absent.

Um, uh representing a quorum.

I hereby declare the session of the common council officially opened this afternoon.

The Pledge of Allegiance will be led by Councillor Johnson.

Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

Please join us now in a moment of silence.

Welcome to the June 22nd, 2026 meeting of the Common Council.

Is there a motion to approve the meeting memorandum of the June 8th, 2026 meeting of the Common Council as written?

So moved.

It has been properly moved and seconded.

That the meeting memorandum of the June 8th meeting, as written.

All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

So ordered.

Reports and communications.

Email material, ordinances F 2026-08, R 2026-09 and second amendment.

R 2026-11 second amendment.

R 2026-12 amended area plan commission report for June 2026.

Weights and measures monthly report in May through June 2026.

On your desk this evening, extended agenda.

Is there a motion to acknowledge the reports and communications?

So moved.

All in favor?

Any opposed?

So ordered.

Special orders of the day.

There are no special orders this evening.

Consent agenda.

First reading of ordinances and resolutions.

Ordinance F 2026-08 and ordinance of the Common Council of the City of Evansville authorizing transfers of appropriations, additional appropriations, and repeal and reappropriation of funds for various city funds.

Is there a motion to adopt the consent agenda as written?

So moved.

Second.

Okay.

First by Councillor Hieronymus.

Second by Councillor Hatfield.

All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

So ordered.

Committee reports.

Madam President, the area plan commission submits the following recommendations.

Ordinance R, 2026-10 comes forward with a recommendation for approval having six affirmative votes and one abstention.

Ordinance R, 2026-11 also comes forward with a recommendation for approval having seven affirmative votes.

And R 2026-13 also comes forward with a recommendation for approval, having six affirmative votes and one abstention.

Is there a motion to acknowledge the committee reports?

So moved.

Second.

It's been first by Councillor Hatfield, second by Councillor Green.

All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

So ordered.

Regular agenda.

Second reading of ordinances and resolutions.

Ordinance G, 2026-12, an ordinance authorizing the issuance of the City of Evansville and again a taxable economic development tax increment revenue bonds.

Series 2026, Cargus Law Project, and the lending of the proceeds thereof to AP development LLC and AB Cargas LOFs, LLC, or an affiliate or permitted assignee thereof, and authorizing and approving other actions in respect thereto.

So a motion to adopt ordinance G 2026 12.

Second.

Good evening, uh Nick Siriano, outside council of the city.

Here on behalf of this bond matter, um with me tonight is John Anderson, who's the developer of this project.

He can speak about it in more detail.

But this this bond would support, it's a TIFF bond, it would support the um the redevelopment of the old cargus furniture factory property.

John has some nice slides showing the work he's doing there.

This bond is you'll recall that we created a new TIFF area just around these two properties uh relating to the project.

This is not an obligation to the city, the TIFF revenue relating to this project will be pledged for the payment of these bonds, and the revenue then pays the bonds over the next 25 years.

So I guess I'll bring John up and he can show you a little bit about this, and then if you have any questions about the bonds, uh we can go into that.

You assume you had to do this.

Oh, there we go.

Alright, so I assume everybody knows.

Sorry, John Anderson, uh president of AP development.

I assume everybody knows where this is.

Um 1501 West Maryland.

Uh the before and after photo, this is a rendering we have.

If you've driven by, um lately, we're well into construction, windows have all been mostly replaced.

Um we're actually gonna start drywalling this week, uh, maybe next.

So we are moving right along.

Completion in October, and we will start pre-leasing in August, September.

Um just a quick site layout.

So the gray is part of the project.

There is another building on the block, which is not part of the project, but we tore down some um legacy mechanical buildings in the back courtyard parking.

There's a warehouse there now, a metal building that will come down that will be parking for the building.

12 apartments, um, a lot of variations on the apartments because the building is so wide in spaces, we have some that are pretty cool two-story apartments with skylights, um, some other neat fixtures or features just through this rendering up so you can see the variation of units, the yellows are threes, the light peach are one bedrooms, um, or sorry, studios, the darker, that orange one, and then two bedrooms in the green typical floor plan.

They're a little different from floor to floor.

I'm struggling.

We threw this together just to show the payback on the TIFF.

Obviously, the bond would pledge the TIFF revenue back to us for payment of the principal and interest on the bonds, but little slide we like to put together for these bonds that shows other income tax, sales tax, other um benefit to the city that is generated from the project and our residents and a return on the city's investment in the TIFF bond in seven years, and I think that is the end of the slides.

I'm happy to answer any questions anybody has about the project.

Any questions from council?

Um, yes, I have a question.

Um looking at this, I'm sorry if my okay, looking at this and trying to understand it.

Um, is there any public risk if this doesn't generate the income that is projected to have?

Yeah, no.

Uh the way this this is set up, um, we created a new TIFF area, which is strictly the boundaries of this project.

Mr.

Anderson's project will have to pay tax into that TIFF.

If it doesn't pay the taxes or if there's a shortfall in the taxes, that falls back on Mr.

Anderson and his development company.

Um risk to the city.

Um it's I think overall about a 30 million dollar investment in the property.

Um I think you'll be able to sell the stream of income for six million-ish.

So it's about a six million dollar bond issue.

But again, it's not a general obligation to the city.

If if the project fails, if it doesn't get completed, if for some reason the tax revenue generated by that project is is not adequate or not what was anticipated, again that falls back on the developer.

Okay, and I don't remember if this was said um about the the amounts of the rent.

Did we talk about that?

Rents are between 900 and $1,500.

We may have a couple that are a little more expensive because if you have a three-bedroom.

Yeah, that three bedroom in the corner is fantastic.

Um so we may have a couple that are odd that are above that, but generally that 900 to $1,500 range.

And is it um would this be part of any affordable housing?

No, it's a market rate house.

Okay.

Thank you.

Uh-huh.

Any other questions?

Any questions from the public?

Seeing none.

Madam Clerk?

Thank you.

Councilman Truckman.

Uh great project.

Councilwoman Taylor.

Yes.

Councilman Hieranimus?

Aye.

Councilwoman Hatfield.

Aye.

Councilwoman Keller Lindsay?

Aye.

Councilman Brickmeyer?

Aye.

Councilman Green?

Aye.

Councilman Johnson.

Aye.

Councilwoman Allen.

Aye.

There being nine ayes and zero eight nays.

Ordinance G 2026-12 is hereby declared adopted.

Ordinance R 2026-09 and ordinance to rezone certain real estate in the city of Evansville, State of Indiana, more commonly known as 6600, Oden Boonville Highway.

Is there a motion to accept uh the second amendment for ordinance R 2026-09?

So moved.

Second.

All in favor.

Aye.

Any opposed?

So ordered.

Is there a motion to adopt ordinance R 2026-09 amended?

Second.

Okay.

It's been properly moved and second.

Uh the floor is now open for a discussion among council.

We have would you like to come up and speak about where we are with this project?

And I know there's quite a bit of questions and updates to be had.

Uh my name is Steve Bowleber.

I'm an attorney here in Evansville, representing uh the developer in this particular project.

My office is 123 Northwest Fourth Street, suite 503, here in downtown Evansville where I practice law for 50 years now.

Um my client is the lead properties incorporated.

They signed a real estate purchase agreement with the owner of this property, and we're here today to see if we can get some appropriate rezoning to help the community meet its issue involving housing, just like the prop project you just heard about.

Uh Evansville needs more housing, both affordable and market rent.

Elite uh properties is the corporation behind this developer.

It's owned by Kenny Reinbrecht, who's here tonight, and he has three sons, Phil, Steve, and Matt.

Um, elite is located in Hobstadt, but they've been active in building quality single family and multifamily registrational structures throughout Southwest Indiana, including in Vandenberg County.

The Kinway Park Subdivision on Heckle Road roller crossing under construction on Green River, or two prominent projects that they have been involved in here in Evansville, Valorant County.

They're also under construction, and others that they've completed include subdivision project on Peck Road, Bombart Road, as well as Kinway apartments on Colt Lane, which is 138 units, brickyard apartments 36 units, and water stone at Green River 130 units.

I ask my clients early on in this project how many residential dwellings be the single family or multi-housing have you developed in your pro in your lifetimes.

They estimate 2500 from Carmel to Evansville and all points in between.

There's Southwest Indiana family of long standing.

They're from as I said from Hopstad.

Now this project.

You received a packet of conceptual site plan.

Obviously, that subject change is site review reviews this if you if you choose to allow it to move forward.

The plan is compliant with all building codes, green space requirements, height and parking requirements, and be constructed without need for variances, according to our engineers and and experts.

There's 15.87 acres in this project, which is not all going to be consumed by the project, so there's wiggle room to accommodate full compliance with all codes and provide a logical and safe access to development.

As the staff field report indicates from the Area Plan Commission, the intended use is consistent with the comprehensive plan.

This is a currently a mixed-use neighborhood with M1 industrial to the north, single family residents and R3 to the south, R3 being multifamily, and a single family residence to the west, and some single family residents and agricultural to the east.

As the conceptual site plan indicates, there'll be five buildings, 216 dwelling units, 102, 108, 2 bedroom, 54, one bedroom, and 54 three-bedroom.

And I hope that adds up to 216.

My math skills are terrible.

If I was a mathematician, I wouldn't be standing here today.

On the conceptual site plan, there are 350 parking spaces, 75 of which are covered one-car garages.

That's more than required, and there's plenty more of space to add more because, as I say, there's wiggle room in this 15.8 side acres.

The multifamily buildings will surround a lake with a central fountain.

To the south, the apartments will be office, swimming pool, and pool house.

The original use and development commitment is been has been refined and amended twice to address some current concerns raised by uh area plan commission members, the public at the APC meeting, discussions with staff and neighbors, and incorporates uh uh we've incorporated that into the second use of development commitment.

Briefly, the second use use and development commitment uh incorporates the obligation of my client to fund traffic study, not just have one.

There was some confusion about that.

But he's here to they're here for the duration to make this a safe, profitable project to assist with the housing shortage we currently have here in Evansville, Indiana, Banner County.

Briefly, the second amended use and development commitments that you should have in your packet restates or adds the following.

A 50-foot maximum height in all structures, and in an R5, there can be 150 feet.

We don't need that.

We have three-story buildings, about 45 feet actually in height.

There'll be a single trash compactor placed where it will not be visible in the public and screen pickup during normal business hours, landscaping buffers on the east and west boundaries, consisting of green giant Arba Vitae, which is a fast-growing evergreen, reiterates the billboards are prohibited, requires downward directing lights and parking areas, a privacy fence along the northern boundary, limits construction times during the building process.

Most importantly, based on this council's recommendations last month when it was continued, my client commissioned a traffic impact study and will agree to comply with its recommendations to provide safe ingress and egress to the site before plans are finalized.

Specifically, section paragraph eight of the second amended use of development commitment requires the developer to conduct a traffic impact study to address ingress and egress and commits taking all necessary action to comply with its recommendations, including dedication of right-away if need be.

In addition, my client will comply with all improvements recommended by the water and sewer utility to ensure that there's an adequate service to this development as well as the existing neighbors.

Now I know nothing about traffic studies, but we the the my clients hired Morley and associates.

Jim Morley is here to talk about his team, what they did in terms of traffic impact study, and talk and discuss technical natures of the infrastructure that that my client is going to undertake to pay for.

So if I can, I'll just turn the podium over to Jim at this point, and we'll be back to answer any questions you might have.

Jim, come on in.

Uh good evening, everyone.

Uh Jim Morley Jr., project engineer.

Uh, and so um I think uh maybe it's your last uh excuse me, your last meeting was brought up about a traffic study.

Uh we did a uh I'm gonna say we did the the front end of a traffic study and submitted that to the city engineer's office.

We found uh that an auxiliary lane, so a traffic study is done using the uh metropolitan planning organization's uh access guidelines.

Uh that's what we use, it's what everybody uses here to do traffic studies.

Uh we did that, and uh using their standards found that an auxiliary lane will be warranted at the entrance, and so an auxiliary lane could either be a turn lane or a passing blister, diesel lane, that type of thing.

Uh, and so we did find that that would be uh warranted.

Uh we submitted that to the city engineer.

Uh he's reviewed that.

Um he uh uh asked a couple clarifying things, and uh and so when we finalize that traffic study, uh we'll provide all the all additional information uh he needed, but we wanted to get him something into his office and submit it before we came back here.

Uh, but we do know we do recognize that there'll have to be some improvements to Old Wilder Highway, uh, in the form of an auxiliary uh lane there.

And so we did do that, and so yeah, so that'll have to be done.

Uh and for what it's worth, the traffic study says they have to comply with that.

I'm sorry, the covenant says I have to comply with that, but the reality of it is is to go through site review.

Uh, you have to have the city engineer sign off to go to make it out of site review.

Uh, and so the reality of it is the only way to get a permit is to satisfy what the city engineer wants.

Uh, and so uh we're on that path uh towards doing that.

Uh and then I believe there's also a question brought up about water uh water availability and water pressure.

Uh we met with the Evansville water and sewer utility about that also.

Uh they uh we provided them with some flow requirements for this project.

Uh they had their uh engineer that does uh water modeling put that into their system and model that with their system and uh we got an email from them saying that that it wouldn't have an adverse effect on the neighborhood.

Uh they did say um relative to pressure, they said that that out in that area there are two different pressure systems uh and the city has different pressure zones uh throughout it, and they we did you know we said that the neighbors had said some things and they said that they would look and see if there was anything they could do to improve the situation out there, but they said this project would not have a negative impact on the neighbors.

I can answer any other technical questions you might have.

Go ahead.

Yeah, uh Jim, you're talking about an auxiliary lane.

Um can you talk to us a little bit about what that looks like and how that gets built into this particular project to alleviate and follow the recommendations uh of the what you said was the front end of a traffic study in the using the MPO guidelines.

Yeah, so the uh in the in the MPO guidelines it references an auxiliary lane and it says it's either a uh turn lane or a passing blister.

Um if it's a turn lane, then you basically create space in the middle of the road and you kind of shift one one lane of traffic one way and the other lane of traffic the other way to create the turn lane in the middle.

Uh if it's a passing blister, it all kind of goes you to um uh you all have driven through a passing blister, you can add that to the outside of the far side of pavement.

In this situation, the vast majority of the traffic doesn't get much farther than this than this project, depending upon where the actual entrance ends up being.

If the if the entrance lines up with the existing apartment entrance at the southeast corner of the property, there's very little traffic that goes past that on a on a oblundel highway.

Okay, and so uh in that situation, it may lead itself more towards a passing blister where there's not a lot of people that are going past you, as you know, somebody's waiting to turn into the apartment complex.

There aren't very many people that are continuing past.

If if there was a really heavy road, um, let's say it was Burkhart Road, you wouldn't necessarily put a passing blister on Burkhart Road because there's you know still a whole bunch of cars continue to go past you.

But in our situation where where we kind of line up with the end of the I'll say the heavier traffic load, if you will, uh a passing blister may uh do the trick.

That's and that again, that's something we'll finalize with the city engineer, but that is uh the the way you determine that uh to whether an auxiliary lane is needed or not is you take uh the number of apartments uh that are there, and then you use uh some national standards of how many trips per day an apartment creates, and then you create a split that says 90% of them are coming towards Evansville or something like that, and you start splitting it out to determine how many cars uh are coming uh each direction, and then the MPO has a standard that says uh how many cars in the peak hour can make that turn and how many cars in it in an entire 24-hour period can make that turn, and then based on those standards, uh you it determines whether an auxiliary lane is required.

And we found one we found that one that auxiliary lane is required.

Okay, and I'm assuming they take in speed of that road into consideration.

Uh, actually, it's not um the speed is not a part of that table.

Um it is more a it's more just a the number of cars uh for lack of better terms, it's a number of cars you got to get out of the way of, you know, the number of cars that are coming behind you, and you don't want to back traffic up and have a bunch of people stopping in the road.

And so that table that is used in the MPO standards isn't a speed-based table.

Uh there are speed-based tables uh like in in dot standards.

Uh but the MPO, which is what we use locally, it's it's not it's that it doesn't have different numbers for a 30 mile an hour road and a 45 and a 50 mile an hour road, and so uh they do there are speeds involved when you talk about highways, but for the local roads, uh it's not there aren't different tables for different speeds.

So, Jim, just to kind of follow up on that a passing blister, I believe I understand an example of that, uh, being um Lincoln Avenue, where there is a left turn into Harrison High School.

Yeah, uh that is what would be an example of passing blister right there.

Okay, so the other other question I had, I don't know if it was answered, um how does that get built into this particular project?

Is that part of the developer, or is that on the city of Evansville to accommodate as part of this development, or or what does that look like?

Whether it's a passing blister or a turn lane, is it encroaching into this particular project?

I think this is really the more clear question I'm asking.

Yeah, so typically the developer is responsible for making that traffic improvement.

The developer doesn't uh the developer doesn't have the right of uh condemnation, uh so they you know, so they have to work within whatever right of way is there, uh, but as far as making the improvements and stuff, typically that is uh a developer's responsibility.

I'll say, unless there's some kind of economic development agreement, you know, or something like that, but I'm unaware of that in this situation.

Thank you.

Question, um, in looking at this graphic, all of the traffic right now is coming to the outlet is old Boomville Highway.

Are there any opportunities for it to go?

I guess that would be north, um, to have some of the traffic come out to Burkhart.

Uh currently there's not the um the piece of property, uh there's a large lot uh at the end of the adjoining subdivision, and when that was platted, that was laid out for, and I'm working off memory, but the buildings almost very similar to what's across the street.

If I'm remember it, they were like a six-plex and a fourplex and a 10-plex building more like townhomes.

And so the developer of that existing subdivision to the left of the uh of the subject property uh was developed by Thompson Homes, and so that's a different developer.

And so the people looking at developing this piece have no, they don't have any rights to cross the property to the left.

Uh the property to the north is uh I believe that's all Danco construction uh up there, and that's fully built out.

And so the only access these uh this piece of property has is to old Broomville Highway.

Okay, and we were talking about the blister um and the modifications.

Where would it start and end?

Um, so there's so and I don't have that part of that page of the manual in front of me, but there's uh in the manual, it has uh the the length of the the length of the taper, the length of the full section, the length of the taper afterwards.

Uh but it would uh the taper would start um and I'm working off of off of memory, so don't 100% quote me on the numbers.

Uh, but the it would start its taper uh I don't know a couple hundred feet or so before uh the entrance and then uh and then finish out after the entrance.

Uh the the current apartment project to the south, they have a D cell lane in that area also, and and and um it's not exactly the same, but kind of imagine that type of a thing.

And and what would be the time frame that it would take um that residents will have to be in a construction zone for that um highway if that were if that were to happen.

Uh I mean typically uh uh uh if it's a if it's a passing blister, that's a relatively low impact change uh as far as the amount of construction that old Boonville Highway would see.

Um, maybe something that's built in I don't know, maybe four weeks or something like that.

It's not that long of a period.

And and and just to make sure uh there's there's no um there's no misunderstanding that any construction done here cannot you know block anybody into their houses or into their apartments, you know, they have to keep old Moonville Highway open for business, and so they have to work around uh existing users, existing uh the existing tenants in the apartment project to the south.

You know, they they can't just you know block them off or anything like that.

They have to keep that open for business.

I um I appreciate you answering the questions.

I it's difficult for me to wrap my head around looking at 250 units, even with that blister, you know, driving it right now and just adding that blister.

In my opinion, it doesn't solve the safety concerns, um, and solve the amount of added traffic because I think in the last 15 years uh we've added a subdivision, another apartment complex, and a church just to that area, and now we're looking at adding 250 more people per se, vehicles going.

Um I don't I don't know the solution right now, and I'm trying to kind of process it, but this blister doesn't seem to be it because you're it's still not is giving a turning portion, I get that, but even with the amount of traffic coming in and out, um is there a reason why it was not a full widening of that road with you know additional lanes and the turning lane and going through that.

What was how did how did we get to a blister?

So there's a couple am I okay on time?

Um there's a couple uh things going on there and and and and I'm gonna split them apart okay because I think this may help you.

Thank you.

Well, this is exciting.

This is like what I do.

Um, the there's there when you talk about safety, there's a couple different things.

When you talk about safety, you have uh intersection uh site distance, you have stopping site distance, and those are all things of uh can I see a car stopped in the road?

Can I see around the corner?

Am I gonna pull out in front of somebody?

That those types of things, and those are all intersection site distance, stopping site distance.

Um that is that part of safety.

And I think if I heard you right, maybe that's a little bit of your concern is like you know, you don't want anybody to get rear ended, you don't want to.

It's a major part of my concern, not a little bit.

Which I'm not I'm not against you on that.

I don't want anybody get rear-ended or hurt either.

Um, and so that is one part of the safety component of the whether it's a passing blister or a left turn lane, the majority of that part of it is um for lack of better terms of uh of getting out of the way of the person behind you.

Uh I'm sure we've all driven down a two-lane city street and somebody wants to turn left and cars start, you know, uh stacking up behind them, and you're like, oh man, is this guy ever gonna turn left?

You know, that is primarily what the uh a left turn lane or a passing blister is dealing with.

And the reason I went more towards a passing blister is um the so we got there there are traffic counts for for old Booneville Highway.

The traffic counts where we are uh the traffic count is much higher than the next they have another traffic count just on the other side of I 69, and that traffic count is a small fraction of what it is in our area, which what that means is is the vast majority of people driving on the road in front of this are uh either going into the church or they're going into the apartments across the street or they're going into the subdivision right before us, but there are very there's a much much lower amount of the traffic that's going past this project and headed east towards towards Booneville.

And so uh as far as getting out of the way of somebody relative to a passing blister or a turn lane, you're really not getting out of the way of that many people because a lot of those people are turning into the apartment project or they already turned into the church, or uh they or they're turning into the subdivision, and so from that standpoint that's why I lean towards a passing blister because I'm primarily just trying to get out of the way so the person can or behind me can go around me, and there aren't that many people that are going past this area.

Um the intersection site distance and the uh stopping site distance is a different item, and so that is something we've gone out and done initial checks on that also, and the way you measure that that is tied uh to speed limit.

Um, and so you go out and you measure that you you um you you uh ascertain where your entrance will be, and then you look to the right and you look to the left, and there are certain distances that you have to be able to see and at different heights that you have to see, you have to check it for a truck and you have to check it for a vehicle to make sure there's enough room that a person can put the brakes on and stop or something like that, and so that's a different check, but that in my opinion, that's that's really a different type of safety than what the the passing blister or the turn lane is.

There is some safety in a passing blister turn lane, but to me that's more of a convenience thing if you're not blocking a bunch of traffic.

And my my last thing I'll say um about that is when I hear what you're saying that you know people aren't going that direction.

Well, no one lives there right now, so there's really not a lot of people that go that direction, but we're also looking at adding about 200 or so people that would then be using that.

So it is very possible they can use that to go to telephone road back out to 62.

And so because you're adding this right now, I don't know if that holds water to say that you're using that measurement when those people don't exist right now.

So it would be different if the apartment complex was there, and then you had that count to know where they were going, but not having anyone there and saying no one's going there, I can't use that um to kind of process that if that's where that goes.

But I'll be open to um what everyone else um has to say, and you've answered the questions that I had.

Well, and I will Jim, can I ask you a real quick question?

And this is pertaining to uh Counselor Taylor's point.

When I mean correct me if I'm wrong, do the traffic studies when you model this out, model it did it model in the additional residents that are going to be here at the 250 vehicles.

So that's what I was gonna say.

You talked about the residents that happen when this happens, and so that is accounted for in the traffic study uh that we submit to the city engineer, and so that is those future residents are are put into the traffic the traffic study, and uh earlier um when I was talking about the traffic study, I talked about uh, you know, coming up with a split of how many will go when they come to the entrance, come to the entrance, how many will turn right, how many will turn left.

Uh, all of that is factored into the traffic study, and then that's how uh that's how you look at you ask the then we start to ask the question do I need any kind of traffic improvements coming the other way?

And uh and so the uh the traffic study is a combination of existing traffic counts, and then you take on top of that, you layer on top of that projected traffic counts, uh, and depending upon the size of the project and the timeline of the project, then you also sometimes put a multiplier for growth in the area uh on top of it.

And so the the future traffic counts are accounted for in the traffic study that we give to the city engineer and that that he reviews.

Okay, uh I do want to say Angela Kaitler, our councilwoman Kaylor Lindsay is on um virtually and has asked to speak and has some questions as well.

And I will just say my thoughts really quickly is like this is a really hard decision for me for all of us.

I think I think we all appreciate the need for housing and appreciate this developer in particular and the quality and the reputation they have and how they've invested in this community.

So it's like weighing that, of course, with ultimate safety and and the reality on the ground from what we're hearing from a lot of you know what we anticipate from a study versus the reality of the ground and what we're hearing from a lot of valid concern from current residents on this road and how thin or how narrow the road is, and and just developing with with that um expansion in mind is what you do, and not trying to micromanage what you're you do either.

So it's like it's it's really hard to hold all of that and try to make their um the proper decision.

But uh and for clarification, where this traffic study is complete, or it's it's been a portion or it's complete and it's been given to the city engineer, and we're waiting on his thoughts on it.

So we did the we did the uh I'll say an initial traffic study or initial traffic uh review, gave it to the city engineer.

We said, hey, we need a we need an auxiliary lane.

Typically, when you do a traffic study, the question is is do I need an auxiliary lane or do I not need an auxiliary lane?

Uh we pretty quickly found that we need an auxiliary lane, and so we wanted to go ahead and get that to the city engineer before we came back here so that you know that to make sure he agreed that we needed a an auxiliary lane, and uh and he replied back that yeah, he we need an auxiliary lane, but then he asked some follow-up questions that you know that we'll work through with him.

Uh, but I will say that um uh in in a hundred in no way would I ever want to uh disparage any traffic concerns that anybody would have.

Um, but I will also tell you 31 years into it, I never want to design something that's not safe either.

Uh and the city engineer doesn't want to approve something if it's not safe, and so ultimately um before this can get built, it has to be designed by a registered engineer with 31 years of experience of designing development in the area.

To the best of my knowledge, nobody's ever gotten hurt at one of my entrances, to the rest of my knowledge.

Uh, and the city engineer then will have to review that, you know.

Is so the city engineer for clarification, the city engineer will review the traffic study, and then they will also review all of the road plans that show the improvements to Old Boomville Highway and the entrance location onto Old Boomville Highway.

And so, and then the city engineer is also a registered engineer with a lot of experience in in roads, uh, and so uh there is no desire uh for the city engineer to approve a set of road plans that aren's not safe.

Yeah.

Okay.

Thank you.

Um, no, go ahead.

Jim, I just want to ask a another question.

Is there obviously we've had a lot of discussion about the the uh passing blister um uh or turn lane, right?

And deferring to the passing blister, uh going east, northeast, right?

Uh is there consideration for a turn-in lane uh as well for anticipated growth on the other side of 69 that may bring additional traffic down the road?

We didn't necessarily see the uh see that you have to have 30 turns in the peak hour or 300 turns in a day.

And uh when we did the split out, we we didn't see that we would hit those kind of numbers of people try of coming for lack of a terms from Boonville.

Um I'm just I mean it doesn't necessarily, you know, but coming from east to west.

Right.

We didn't we didn't see that type of turn in uh action.

Uh and to be honest with you, I would assume when they did their study for the apartments um across the street that they didn't see it either, because if they thought they would have to done a left turn lane in because those auxiliary lane numbers are all kind of interchangeable, uh and so uh when we did our split, we did not see a need for it going the opposite direction, which uh uh councilwoman Taylor, that's a little bit about what you talked about.

Like, how do I know when people are coming from the other direction?

And so we actually check it both directions, right?

Um, and and we'll work with the city engineer.

If the city engineer says, Hey Jim, I I appreciate your idea on the passing blister, but it's but I want a full center turn lane.

Well, full center turn lanes what he gets, you know.

I mean, we don't I mean ultimately uh he you know he's the one that approves our plans, and so I mean I have my opinion of why of what I think it should be, but ultimately uh his opinion matters more than mine to be honest with you.

I understand that.

I guess you know, in my mind, um, you know, when we look at the northeast side of the city, northeast side of the county, um, and what is encroaching in from Warwick County, it's probably 20 30 years away before we see density on that other side of 69 uh compared to what we might have in the city, but I just wanted to ask that question.

No, we we check it both ways.

Thank you.

Counselor Green.

On the on the conceptual drawings or conceptual site plan, it shows the exits coming out or entrance right across from I think that's Arbor Drive.

So how would you do a passing blister?

When it's I mean the blister would have to be Arbor Drive.

Yeah, there and that is that's a little bit of what we would work through with the city engineer as to what that would look like.

The uh the um the you have a conceptual site plan in your packet, you know, and ultimately where we come out onto uh old Boonville Highway uh will be subject to the you know how the what the city engineer wants that to look like and the safest place we can come out at, yeah, uh and the best place to get the road can the road geometry put together.

Um, and so uh typically um uh it's pretty often you and you end up lining up, you know, streets on either side, yeah.

Uh which is why we have one shown there, but if uh through the traffic study process, if it's determined, hey, we'd actually be better with uh one entrance in the middle uh or something like that, you know, then you know then that may change to be one entrance in the middle so that you have a bet uh have a safer intersection or the if the geometry works better, something like that.

Or on the west west corner, yeah, or yeah, wherever.

Because I've seen and I love passing blisters because it keeps the traffic moving, but here it seems like I've seen people go through them before.

And when you come out of that blister here, you're gonna be coming right up to where the people in those condom condos are coming in and out.

Yeah yeah if if if a passing blister is used at that location if it lines up then part of that uh deceleration line has to be reconfigured and rebuilt and that kind of thing.

Because it because when you're when you're pulling up to traffic is turning left the driver being on the left side of the vehicle is not going to see somebody coming out and if he just veers around them you're gonna have a wreck.

No, no I know I know what you're talking about.

And we've we've had some of those conversations around our office as to what you know what that might look like.

But ultimately all of the the traffic study is is governed by standards, the road the road alignments, the road configurations, the passing bus return lane, whatever it is the artillery lane, all of those are they have standards that they have that they get built to or designed to and uh we would have to go through that entire process.

Okay.

Personally I like to see it on a south west corner.

That way you've got more room to react when you get to the entrance to the condos.

And the other thing is there been any thought given to having the exits out of the apartments right turn only.

Exit out there.

So they couldn't go they they they could only turn right and go down to Burkhart.

And if they were wanting to go to Warwick County, all they've got to do is go down.

I mean it's not really it's not even a mile out of the way.

Uh and that would just not thought about that one to be honest with you.

Um I've not I could talk to the city engineer about that.

I'm not uh I mean I suspect some people would want to turn left and go to Boonville.

That one is not but again that that question of whether or not can you safely turn out of there is all part of that stopping site distance intersection site distance safety analysis that that occurs.

And I and I'm not a traffic engineer but I do drive a car.

I do drive the car.

And I I just feel like I would feel comfortable if it was right turn only instead of trying to fight back against traffic.

And I and I can work through that with the city engineer and you know if that's something but that's something I would like to see personally I would like to see before we vote.

I mean we we kind of pushed this thing out two meetings so we'd have something to look at tonight and I don't have any rendition of anything tonight to look at that tells I mean I know what a blister is you know and and I and I am all for housing in our community.

I don't want you know I'd really like to work something out to get this thing to to go to where it's safe and I know you guys do a good job.

I'm not saying what you're doing is not safe.

It just uh and just as a point of order we could push out August t 10th is the last is the latest based on timing we need to get it done in July.

Yeah that's right.

Um and I know Councillor Trockman and counselor uh Kayler Lindsay um counselor Keater Lindsey would you like to say something?

Uh yes, thank you.

Can you guys hear me okay?

Yes.

Yeah.

Okay, thanks.

Um it's always a challenge attending virtually I apologize that um that um I'm out of town on a mission trip.

Um but I and I do appreciate all the questions that have asked actually um most of the questions that I had um have been answered uh asked and answered by the other council members so thank you for that I still um just you know and I I do appreciate uh Jim I and I know that you know good the work this developer's done and and that you guys are wanting to do things that are safe.

Um I just know that I continue to hear from the people that live in that area and that drive that road every day.

Um lots of folks that live in the uh apartment complexes and the um housing uh area right across from this.

They're still just very, very concerned about the safety um and you know, really concerned about adding this much more traffic um right there.

So I, you know, I'm I know what you're saying I hear what you're saying about uh about safety and that you're, you know, I know you're gonna do all that you can do.

Um I'm just not sure that it's enough.

I don't know if we need to to look at maybe holding this off.

I like the idea of looking at a right turn lane.

Um I don't know if we need to hold this off and see if there's um other work that that needs to be done in that area, um, or you know, any more studies that could be done just to really assure um the people that live and drive on that road every day that they are gonna be safe because I know that I keep hearing about lots of accidents um that have happened right there.

Um so um I'm just I'm still very very concerned about safety, and you know, I'm I'm not I'm not sold that that this is where we need to put um the housing.

So um that this you know if we if we can hold this off another little while and get it done before August the 10th.

If there's we think there's any more room to be held out, uh things need to be figured out that you know, I'll support that.

Um, but um still very concerned about safety, and uh I think that's all I have at this point.

Okay, thank you.

Counselor Chuckman.

Uh why thank you, madam vice president.

Uh Jim, I uh thinking back to uh an example that counselor brought up, and sorry to put you on the spot here, but you have a better geography uh memory than most of the city of Evansville.

You know, I think about um one of the busiest uh intersections that I have gone by for the past 37 years of my life.

I just wonder if there's there's a maybe a comparison here that you can walk us through.

And I I'm speaking of uh exactly what Zach mentioned earlier is uh Fielding Road in Lincoln, where there is that uh passing blister, you know.

Obviously, there's a lot of many different homes and neighborhoods on the east side and folks that drive through there.

There's uh great amount of traffic that comes from uh the school as well.

I don't know if it would be helpful if there was a uh in your mind a comparison of you know the capacity of something like that with a passing blister, which is something that we're discussing obviously, um, as um in comparison with a project like this.

I don't know if it would be helpful, but I thought I would at least bring it up.

I'm always a big fan of comparing other projects that are already uh existing with things that we're thinking about in the future.

Uh yeah, so I can I can touch base on that.

Um and so um uh the amount of traffic that could uh to use uh Lincoln and Fielding Court, uh the amount of traffic that continues to go east on Lincoln, um I've not done traffic count today or anything, um, but I believe uh far exceeds the amount of traffic that continues to go past this entrance on Old Moonville Highway.

Uh and the in that situation, and really in this situation, and and again I want to lean heavier on auxiliary lane than passing buster or left turn lane, only because a city engineer ultimately has that final decision.

The um for me, again, I I like I like the passing blister in the spot, but it doesn't have to be.

But the the difference is is um uh they're at fielding and Lincoln for the majority of traffic when nobody's turning, they just keep on going straight.

They don't have to shift over a half a lane to create this the space for an internal uh center turn lane, and so it's a little easier for the the mainline traffic just to keep going, not have to bounce over.

Uh you all know on on the Lloyd Express where we kind of bounce all over the place as they try to create spaces and stuff.

Um but that is uh that is a a higher traffic intersection without looking at the numbers, but I'm pretty pretty sure uh that is a that's a much higher traffic intersection than what this would be.

Uh and they they've used a passing booster there.

Um they have, I mean, because they're picking up they're picking up because there's a light at the Lloyd and fielding, you know, where the so they're picking up all that all that ground or that traffic that shoots through there across the face of uh Harrison and they're picking up Harrison High School traffic, and so I believe that's probably a busier intersection than this one is, uh, and that's what they've done.

Um, and so I think that's probably a fair comparison to say that you'd have fewer people in a passing blister here than you do there, if that's kind of where you were going.

And so I think that's yeah, I just I just wanted to think about uh a current example on how that functions as compared to how this could function.

Yeah, I've not done the analysis on that intersection tonight, but I would tend to believe that if I'm driving east on old Boonville Highway, I will use a passing blister less than when people are driving east on Lincoln Avenue to and that use that passing blister, and I go down that one quite a bit too.

I know what you're talking about.

That helps for context, I appreciate it.

Can I can I ask a can I ask a question?

Yes, relative uh to the safety part of it, and I and I a hundred percent agree.

I think the safety thing is a priority a hundred percent.

Um to do the to do the full design of the improvements in old boonville highway, uh, just being real honest with you, is pretty expensive.

Yeah, and I guess my question is is there a way uh for a zoning to be approved subject to the city engineer's approval of a road plan or something like that, um, because it that would be a lot of money to spend up front and then not be able to get the rezoning uh because it's there's a there's a lot that goes into those.

I mean, you're talking about basically a full set of construction drawings, and that's a that's a big lift.

Are you meaning for the study?

For us to be able to are we talking about a study or I because uh uh councilman green talked about having a you know a drawing to look at and it's a conceptual drawing.

Oh, okay.

So yeah, okay.

I I guess I miss I misunderstood I on that part of it.

That's kind of more and get the city engineer's feedback, I think, and and to counselor Kaylor Lindsay's um point about being willing to table it um briefly so we can look at these concepts.

We're talking conceptual, not construction drawings, and again I would like to see the entrance be at the Western.

I'd also I would also like to see it right turn on, which I don't think is that big a deal if we just take Burkhart down this road and take off the county or whatever.

My one of my concerns besides the safety is if we put a blister there, we think everything's okay, and then down the road it's not.

Now the city's on the hook for redoing all that out there.

We're gonna have to add the lanes and all that stuff.

You turn your microphone.

Sorry about that.

Do you catch all that?

I did.

Okay, I did.

But uh, and we do have comment from the public as well.

Yes, but no, please, please finish.

I mean, I would hate to see the project kill, so I don't want to I don't I'd hate to see a vote where I where I'm I feel like it's not gonna pass, and I also hate to see it pushed out into August to where it's gonna go regardless of what we think.

I'd I'd like for all of us to come to an understanding and get everybody's concerns taken care of and move forward because I am well aware of how much we need housing.

Okay.

So and I don't I don't want it to come back on the city later on and say, you know, well, this didn't work out really well, so we're gonna have to go back in there and redo these, redo that road.

But and I'm not my comments aren't marked meant to say that what you guys do is not a good because I know I know what you do.

I don't know if you I didn't take it that way.

And if it's a conceptual plan, I misunderstood what you're talking about.

If it's a conceptual plan, that's that's not true.

I want to see a conceptual plan that we agree to that that plan is what we're going to do.

And my to me, it's like I say to Scott, it needs to be away from the Arbor Road or Arbor Street or whatever that is, and right turn only.

I think that would that would keep that would keep traffic from both of those entrances to the condos and the apartments apart.

It would it would force the apartments to the right.

I yeah.

I would move.

Is there a motion to want to just how do we feel about tabling this until the next meeting?

Do you think we could potentially a couple weeks be able to have some concepts and we could hear from the city engineer as well, and that I think we could table to that?

I can't I can't speak for the city engineer.

I mean, we can get something submitted whether or not we get get a feedback.

I can't speak to that.

Yeah.

But if you want to the developer next door with the house, I don't know if it was a houses or apartments or what do they are?

The ones that run against Burkhart?

Those are houses.

I know this the very north end of that's not developed.

I didn't know if there was any opportunity to get a strip of that land and just put that on to Burkhart, which is four lanes.

I didn't know if that was an option or not.

Just throwing it out there.

Yeah, I don't know that he I mean that he's a develop like he's a div, I mean he's got there's a primary plat that goes with that piece of property, and so um I think he's got a plan for that.

So I doubt that he would want to put a road through there.

Yeah, um, because he's already got a plan for housing in that area.

Um but okay, just asking.

Counselor Anonymous, did you have something?

No, I mean it seems like there's more questions and stuff, and I I would make a motion to table this.

Uh I don't think I would push it out any further past the next meeting though.

Okay, let me July 13th.

Second.

Okay.

We have motion to table until the July 13th meeting and a second.

Um do we need to do voice vote?

Okay.

Uh Madam Clerk.

Oh, no.

Oh, all in fact, or can I just ask question?

I'm sorry, uh, just a question on tabling it.

What are we wanting done between now and July 13th?

We would like personally, I would like to see a conceptual plan that really isn't conceptual, it just doesn't have to be um, doesn't have to go through the state or whatever.

In other words, assuring this council that that entrance exit will be at the west end of the property and that it'll be right turn only.

That's just me personally, that would keep that traffic separated from the from the apartments and the condos at the other the other cross the street.

If that's if we can work something out there where everybody's happy, then I think that'd be great.

That way we wouldn't have to scrap the project.

Can I ask a ask a question?

I think it would be a good, I think there are more questions at this point too.

Even that we could even meet with the city engineer and ask some of those questions and and talk with him and and go back with the neighbors and those types of things, and that could be done with a little more time.

What is your next meeting?

I'm not I'm not in town on July 13th.

Uh the 27th.

It's it would be the following meeting.

So it's it would either be July 13th.

Is that correct, Madam Clerk, or July 27th?

I mean, we can I just I kind of get the impression with all these questions, you may want me to be the person up here.

Uh and I'm out of town on July 13th.

Um and so if if I'm the guy I got to be the July 27th.

Okay.

I I mean if if you if you or I mean if you think the 27th is good, then we can I can amend my.

I mean, I'm assuming at the 27th, I hate to work it this way, but y'all will either vote yes or no.

Right at the 27th, and so um I'd rather I'd rather be here to be able to explain to you the traffic side of it.

I mean, I have other engineers, but I think you maybe all have a little more familiarity with me, and so um if that would be okay.

Yeah, I'll I'll amend my motion to uh the 27th of July to push this tour.

Okay, do we have a second?

I still second.

Oh, here's a second.

All in favor?

I aye.

Any opposed?

And one day.

Okay.

Uh so ordered.

This will be tabled until the 27th.

And um we will take public comment then.

All right.

Thank you so much.

Appreciate your time.

Ordinance R 2026-10 and ordinance to rezone certain real estate in the city of Evansville, state of Indiana, more commonly known as 501, 503 East Walnut, and 511 East Walnut.

Is there a motion to adopt ordinance R 2026-10?

So moved.

We have a first and a second.

The floor is now open for discussion among council.

Good evening, council members.

Alyssa Nilson with Area Plan Commission.

I'm filling in for Cassie Virgin.

Um first up is APC docket number REZ-2026-013 proposed ordinance R-2026-10.

This site is located in an area of mixed zoning and uses east of the downtown redevelopment area.

The immediate vicinity is predominantly residential use is on the south side of Walnut Street and industrial use is zoned M1 on the north side.

The county assessor's records indicate that existing residential development on this site was constructed around 2004 following a rezoning from R2 to R5 for this purpose.

This block was vacant at that time after blighted homes and buildings had been raised as part of the walnut center redevelopment area project adopted by resolution in the 1980s.

The redevelopment plan for the area designated this block to remain residential use.

The applicant is now requesting to rezone the entire block to C2 to allow mixed use, adding a professional business office to the smaller building on Elliott Street within the existing multifamily development.

The UDC attached to this request prohibits some of the low and mid intensity commercial uses from use group seven and eight that are usually allowed in a C2 zone.

The 2035 future land use map recommends this site for residential uses.

This request to rezone to C2 for a mixed commercial and residential use would be partially consistent with the comprehensive plan.

This request now comes forward from APC with a recommendation for approval, having six affirmative votes and one abstention.

Any questions or comments from council?

I have not had any opposition to this project from anyone in my ward.

Okay.

Thank you.

Any comments from members of the public.

I feel like rerun.

I have a fancy exhibit, but it's been a long night.

We'll try to make it quick.

How about that?

Sounds good.

So on this project in the bottom left-hand corner of the highlighted area, there is a small building down there that I believe was probably originally some kind of an accessory use to those apartments, but it's no longer using as accessory use to those apartments.

They want to use it for a small commercial business, and therefore we need to rezone the property to allow for that.

And they did not have any opposition to this.

And so uh I can answer any questions.

Uh but would uh appreciate an approval.

Real quick scope of the project.

Are we are these buildings coming down and new structures?

No, this okay.

Everything is staying as it is.

Okay, for the foreseeable future.

They just need to put a commercial business in that bottom left corner.

I gotcha.

Okay.

Thank you.

Anything else?

Okay.

Yeah, I'm sorry, I don't want to do um delay, but the newbie in me is asking questions.

When you say mixed use, what all does that include as potential?

So it so a C2 zoning is the only zoning that allows a commercial and a residential use in the same zoning classification.

And so that's why we're doing uh the rezoning, um, and that allows those apartments to be there at the same time that commercial use is there, and the commercials then in that bottom corner there.

And are there any restrictions of what that commercial business could be?

No, it's just the C2 is a real C2 doesn't have any uh bad stuff in it, if you will.

Um, and it's uh it's not one of the heavier zonings that you typically go.

A lot of times if somebody if you have a real heavy zoning that people will go through and strike a bunch of stuff out.

C2 is not a very heavy zoning to begin with that allows for residential and commercial to coexist.

Thank you.

Councilwoman Taylor, just so you know that the UDC that they filed um does uh narrow some of the C2 uses, so it would exclude packaged liquor stores, pawn shops, bars, a night club, gas stations, a hotel or motel pet related services, among some other small-scale realty shops.

So there are there are limitations and it's not totally bad.

I forgot about it.

But I guess it's been a long night.

A question along with that is is there a reason why you're seeking to rezone this entire parcel and uh doing a split, yeah.

So what we talked about, so it's it's Memorial Baptists is the group doing it.

When we talked about it, it is the same for lack of a term, it's the same effort to rezone just that little corner or that entire area, and uh the felt like this allows them through the same process to have the flexibility for that whole area to as that as the demands change and grow in that area uh that it would give them flexibility on the property they own.

Do you know if the if the commercial business is gonna be related to the apartments or is it gonna be leased out?

It's just leased out, it's not an ancillary.

If it was ancillarity departments, I don't think we would have had to rezone.

What will you do for parking?

Uh they have a little bit of parking in that um just to the south of there.

Right here, okay.

And I honestly I I totally spaced and forgot we filed a UDC, I'm sorry.

Oh that's okay.

Okay, if you're talking about um the zoning of that and and with the businesses, my only concern, and I think I'm just traumatized from very global situation, um, is making sure that the adequate parking is there, and then if you are doing parking, um just that the whole situation with parking spaces, the trees, and all of these other things that come into that.

Does that play a portion in any of this?

Yeah, so anything that gets built now has to go has to has to abide by those those the new parking ordinance, um, a building as small as that commercial building, it doesn't it doesn't ever hit any of those thresholds, but if if they if a person want to come back in and change something uh and put a parking lot in or something like that, uh what the the new one would have to uh meet those current standards?

What's the square foot of that building?

Do you know?

400 square feet maybe.

I mean it's it, it's an itty bitty building.

Okay, thank you.

Okay, seeing no more comments, questions, madam clerk?

Councilman Chapman, Councilwoman Taylor?

Yes, Councilman Hieronymus?

Aye.

Councilwoman Hatville?

Aye.

Councilwoman Keller Lindsay.

Aye.

Councilman Brinkmeyer?

Aye, Councilman Green?

Aye.

Councilman Johnson?

Aye.

Councilwoman Allen.

Aye.

There being nine ayes and zero nays.

Ordinance R 2026-10 is here by declared adopted.

Thank you all.

Appreciate it.

Thank you.

Ordinance R 2026-11 and ordinance to rezone certain real estate in the city of Evansville, state of Indiana, more commonly known as 4919 Old Abunville Highway.

Is there a motion to accept the second amendment for ordinance R 2026-11?

So moved.

Second.

All in favor?

I opposed.

So ordered.

Is there a motion to adopt ordinance R 2026-11 amended?

So we have a first and a second.

The floor is now open for discussion among council.

Next up we have APC docket number REZ-2026-014.

Proposed ordinance R-2026-11.

This site is located in an area of very mixed zoning and uses east of the commercial corridor, lining the intersection of Green River Road and Morgan Avenue.

This portion of Old Boonville Highway has several residential uses zoned R1 scattered throughout commercial and industrial uses with mixed zoning.

Most of these approvals were out of necessity to bring the property into compliance after the business had expanded without permits.

APC was notified of the issues via complaints from neighboring residential property owners.

The first rezoning covered two lots to M1 in 1969.

The business then expanded west onto the C4 zoned corner lot.

Sometime around 2000, the business began parking and storing trailers on these lots, later expanding again to the other side of the M1 area.

The expansion lot was then rezoned to M2 in 2016 to bring the property into compliance.

Multiple variances for setbacks and gravel were then approved to legally establish the existing conditions on these lots.

The applicant is now requesting to rezone the subject property to C4 for further expansion of the business.

This lot is directly adjacent to the M2 zoned lot.

The UDC attached to this request differs from the applied in the M2 rezoning.

In a C4 zone, outdoor storage is only permitted as an accessory to an existing commercial business activity such as sales.

The commercial activity must be conducted within the same property lines.

Otherwise, the storage would be considered a standalone use requiring an M2 zoning.

The 2035 future land use map recommends this site for residential uses.

This request to rezone the property to C4 to allow commercial retail and storage use would not be consistent with the comprehensive plan.

However, it would be consistent with the current use of adjacent property to the west and south, as well as other lots in the same block previously rezoned by the applicant for the same use.

Should this request be approved, the UDC could be modified to include development commitments that would maintain or reinforce an adequate buffer to protect the remaining residential property owner, such as compliance with the required 10-foot set side setback or installation of an opaque fence.

It is also recommended that all lots used for commercial activities be combined in a one-lot subdivision with a single zoning in UDC for the entire site.

This would ensure that zoning code requirements are applied accurately and uniformly across the property and eliminate the need for multiple separate variance petitions.

This request now comes forward from APC with a recommendation for approval having seven affirmative votes.

Good evening.

I'm with Denton's Bingham Greenbaum law firm here in Evansville, and I have Cole Lyle with me.

He is the owner of the subject property as well as Lyle trailer sales that have it's been operating at that location maybe since 2000 or 1970 in total.

Well, yes, yes, your uh grandfather had a car dealership or car lot or body shop and whatnot there.

Um do you mind if I approach?

I've got oh that's great, thanks.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Again, this property is at uh 4919 old Boomville Highway.

Uh my client uh owns, I guess it's 4901, 4909, 4911, 4913, and 4919, which is this subject property, um, and wants to use all these in connection with this business.

This particular property uh he recently acquired.

Um it was condemned by the city, and he acquired it after it was condemned by the city.

Uh so if the rezoning goes through, he's going to tear down the house and use the subject property for his business needs.

Uh there is a property just to the uh east of him that's at 4925 and it's zoned uh residential.

The owner of that property uh owns the hotel just south of it or it's quality in, I believe.

And uh I think some of his workers reside in that in that home.

And I've talked to him, it's uh Mr.

Patel, and he said he had no objection uh to this rezoning petition.

What I've handed you is a letter from uh Mel Greer, owner of Greer's flooring there at the intersection of uh North Green River Road and Old Boomville Highway.

And uh he's in support of the uh petition, um, he believes that it will better the neighborhood just like my client uh believes that uh the neighborhood will be nicer.

He's done a very good job of uh cleaning up the uh south side of old Boonville Highway, and this will blend in uh with his business needs in the future.

If you want to uh if you have any questions of Mr.

Lyle, I'm sure he'll be glad to try to answer whatever questions you may have and anything of me out to add.

Glad to try to answer him as well.

I will say that Councillor Truckman had uh mentioned that there's uh he is the ward counselor and there has been no um opposition, and he is in support of this.

Any comments or questions from council?

Any questions or any comments from members of the public?

Okay, seeing none, madam clerk.

Councilman Chalkman, aye.

Councilwoman Taylor, yes, Councilman Hieronymous?

Aye.

Councilwoman Hatfield?

Aye.

Councilwoman Kyler Lindsay.

Councilman Brinkmeyer?

Aye.

Councilman Green?

Aye.

Councilman Johnson?

Aye.

Councilwoman Allen.

Aye.

There being nine ayes and zero nays, ordinance are 2026-11 amended.

Is hereby declared adopted.

Thank you.

Thank you all.

Thanks so much.

Have a good evening.

You too.

Ordinance R 2026-13 and ordinance to resonate real estate in the city of Evansville, state of Indiana, more commonly known as 1514 South Morton Avenue.

Is there a motion to adopt ordinance R 2026-13?

So moved.

Okay, it's been moved by Counselor Hatfield and second by Counselor Taylor.

We ready?

Um, our final rezoning for tonight is APC docket number REZ-2026-016 proposed ordinance R-2026-13.

This site is located in a solid area of residential uses, almost exclusively zoned R2.

The nearest nodes of commercial zoning are located several blocks to the south along East Riverside Drive.

The City Directory shows a grocery and attached single family dwelling at this location as early as 1924.

APC later granted the grocery legal nonconforming status after the area was blanket zoned for residential use in 1940.

However, the building was left vacant for more than six months sometime in the early 1960s, avoiding the non-conforming status.

The property was then rezoned from R2 to C2 in 1965 to legally resume commercial use.

Several different businesses occupied the building until it was eventually raised in 2018.

The lot has remained vacant since that time.

The applicant recently purchased the property and is now requesting to down zone back to R2 to construct a new single family residence.

The 2035 future land use map recommends this site for residential uses.

This request to rezone the property to R2 to establish a single family residence would be consistent with the comprehensive plan.

This request now comes forward from APC with a recommendation for approval, having six affirmative votes and one abstention.

Okay, thank you.

Love to see a house going in an empty lot.

Any comments from members of council?

Aw, Jim.

Come on.

Like a bad penny, keep showing up.

So again, I have pretty exhibits, but this one's super, I mean, I'm gonna say it's a no-brainer.

Yeah.

And so it's it's a sea of residential with this little dot of commercial.

And we're just gonna turn it back to residential.

Yep.

Pretty straightforward.

I like it.

And I would just like to add I've had no opposition in my ward.

Okay.

Any comments from members of the public?

Okay, seeing none, Madam Clerk.

Councilman Chalkman.

Did you have a comment?

No.

Oh, sorry.

Okay.

Oh, right.

You're ready.

You're ready.

Councilman Chapman.

I don't know.

I have a few questions.

Aye.

Councilwoman Taylor.

Yes.

Councilman Hieranimus.

Aye.

Councilwoman Hatfield?

Aye.

Councilwoman Killer Lindsay?

Aye.

Councilman Brickmeyer?

Aye.

Councilman Green?

Hi.

Councilman Johnson?

Aye.

Councilwoman Allen.

Aye.

There being nine ayes and zero nays.

Ordinance R 2026-13 is hereby declared adopted.

Thank you.

I'll appreciate it.

Have a great night.

Thank you.

You leaving?

Jim, enjoy your vacation, okay?

For whatever you're doing out of town.

I think you deserve it after tonight.

Miscellaneous business.

The next meeting of the common council will be Monday, July 13th, 2026 at 5 30 p.m.

Boards and Commissions.

The Vanderburgh County Economic Development Commission.

Are you reading these or do you want me to?

We have uh one vacancy term length is two years with that term ending January 31st, 2028.

The criteria is city council nominates an applicant for the county commissioners to appoint.

And we have one applicant, uh Troy Tornada.

Is there a motion to nominate Troy Tornada to the Vanderburgh County Commissioners to be appointed to the Vandenberg County Economic Development Commission?

Second.

It has been moved by Councillor Green, seconded by Councillor Hatfield.

All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

So ordered.

Additional miscellaneous business.

Are there any other additional comments from members of the council?

Okay, are there additional comments from members of the audience?

Oh, we have one.

Okay.

Please, please come on forward.

Oh, okay.

There's two now then.

Yes.

You can come up first and then Thomas Stratton will holler at you next.

Sorry.

Hello, my name is Alison Lewis, and I'm with Evansville Housing Authority and Advanced Development Corporation.

I attended probably my tenth annual CDBG training earlier today.

We usually submit for Youth Build Evansville.

And just recently in the past few years, we've acquired a community resource center on Edgar Street.

So I believe we've spoken about having, our youth build programs in that building, and also resident services.

So with this upcoming CDBG proposal, we plan to submit for youth build and then also look at an opportunity to make some things happen on the second floor of that resource building.

That's great.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Okay.

Thomas Stratton.

And you know the drill, state your address, and you have three minutes.

My name is Thomas Stratton, I live at 513 Randy Mead Avenue.

And we are three days after Juneteenth and 12 days away from another celebration.

And I wish I could impress upon everyone here the urgency of this moment.

I've been told this council is powerless to act about flock cameras, but what is the purpose of power?

And what is the purpose of the power entrusted to each counselor and the collective body here?

We're told flock is about safety, but finding suspects is not the same as solving the problem of crime.

We are more scrutinized than ever before, but we are no safer.

Moreover, it is the expressed intent of organizations like ICE to weaponize flock cameras to make our community unsafe in the hands of state-sponsored criminals.

And families as we speak are living horrors we can only imagine.

ICE and its allies intend harm to our new American neighbors and thus are a direct threat to us all.

Ice goons are coming.

They are in fact here now, and we are out of time.

And flock is exactly the tool they demand, the tool of empire.

If I spoke honestly and accurately about the horrors these masked brutes bring, the profane words to describe the obscene actions of these terrorists would only result in your cutting my mic.

So we'll try this instead following the example of my friend Jonathan Baker.

This piece incorporates found poetry from a post from local law enforcement defending flock cameras.

Flockery.

2 2-64848.

As I order my steps, I will not hesitate to make the crosswalk before the doomsday clock hits zero, dodging puddles and random curves, and feeling the stare of the stolen vehicle recovered.

White suburban turning left in the glare of the flock perched on post and wire with their baleful gaze all seeing.

What will be uploaded?

And upon further review, I am found wanting a number, a license to be an outstanding warrant and outwalking agent enemy of the state.

23-61474.

Unlicensed, stateless, nameless data, nevertheless, this flock, improbable of raptors or carrion, will not feast from a plate solely.

And what morsels they seize, they will share generously.

With purpose in their hunger and their giving and for their masters and for that unmatched passport, expect a knock at your door, not passed over for a hiss-up painted lintel in white, just a few questions for the greater good, a cutting edge and highly effective crime fighting tool, razor talons and beaks set efficiently on the streets and flesh, and yet I will exhale in the certainty that my unmelanation will blend me in this pale age, will defend me in this ice age, while 153 birds of a feather fix their eyes on this my neighbor.

And if I said before, I'll leave it to you and your conscience to decide who is my neighbor.

Thank you.

Thank you, Dr.

Shotten.

Um I want to not so much be respond, but to put something in the um in the room on July 1, SP 76 goes into effect.

XB 76 is an immigration bill that has that gives ICE unprecedented access to our schools, hospital, churches, and other things.

However, the question is with in Indiana, with those two bills, what does it look like for public safety?

When we have when we have welcomed ICE into our state, and we do have the flock access.

Thank you.

Yes.

Okay.

Committee reports.

There are no committee reports this evening.

So I entertain a motion to it.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Yes, I didn't have a but if you would like three minutes, yes.

I'm sorry.

No, I didn't see you there, Bart.

Martin Heath, 1744 Brendan Drive, Newburgh, Indiana, speaking on Flock.

And as far as Flock, I think you need to know who we are as a nation.

And so I go to history.

During the Great Depression, the struggling working class looked overseas for a decent life.

Even war veterans suffered and were ignored.

Russia and Germany were rising and had no such problem.

Reconstructing post-war one using the U.S.

DAWs and young loans.

Corporations helped this effort for GE and bankers like JP Morgan, but none for us.

Defeated U.S.

workers attributed hope to philosophy and look to communism and fascism successes.

In 1934, McCormick Dixtein Bipartisan Commission was empowered to look at our troubling fascist presence and found it to be free speech.

In 1938, the commission changed its name to the House Un-American Activities Committee, still bipartisan but permanent.

They began by smearing FDR, the New Deal, WPA, CCC programs now wielding a pejorative term commie.

Post-World War II, the bipartisan McCarthy subcommittee began the assault on Hollywood screenwriters guild, denying their civil rights protections, blacklisting their occupation, and ruining most of their lives and jailing all ten.

Who were these men?

I'll use Martin Niemola's work to tell you.

First they came for the communists, presumably all ten of them.

Then they came for the socialists, presumably again, all ten of them.

Then they came for the trade unionists, admittedly, all ten.

Then they came for the Jews, admittedly, six of whom were Jewish.

This vitriol consumed our nation where workers' rights, civil rights, anti-poverty, and anti-war were portrayed as commie.

Then the government passed the Smith Act, the Communist Control Act, and overrode the veto of Taft Hartley, which included the right to work.

Many derided it as the dangerous suppression of free speech.

This lives on today, including the work you use to soil those that would be free.

Again, it was bipartisan while you believe it couldn't happen here.

When the youth were here now, ask the residents of Japanese internment camps, Tuskegee medical experiments and Indiana sterilizations.

What is our country?

It's not a highway, it's a tightrope we're walking.

And I urge you to investigate this for my entire life.

I remember arriving on a job and talking to an old timer, and I mentioned Taft Hartley, and he looked like I had stabbed him.

And I know why.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I have a magazine that I'll leave with you from uh the Institute for Justice, and they work uh against uh injustices, not just flock cameras, but I'll leave it for all of you to to share and look over.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Bart.

Thank you, Bart.

Thank you.

Okay.

Uh I will now entertain a motion uh to adjourn.

So moved.

Second.

Uh Councilmember Perony's moved and Councilwoman Hatfield second of the motion to adjourn.

Adjourn.

All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

So ordered.

Meeting is adjourned at 707.