Thank you.

Is there any more second?

I wasn't going to use your meeting.

Thank you though.

Thank you.

I guess it's a good one.

No, I think that's a good thing.

Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon.

It's one o'clock and we have a quorum.

Let me call the May 20th, 2026 meeting of the Metropolitan Development Commission will now come to order.

Shannon Norman is here today, and I have asked her to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Shannon's last day is May twenty-eighth.

She has been an exemplary employee for the city of Indianapolis.

Shannon, everybody rise for the pledge.

Please lead us.

I pledge 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.

Thank you, Shannon, and good luck to you.

Moving forward, members of the commission, last week you received the minutes from the May 6, 2026 meeting.

Are there any additions or deletions to those minutes?

Hearing none, Commissioner Hergett, I'll accept the motion to approve.

So moved.

Thank you.

Commissioner Lyle, I'll take a second.

Second.

Let me call the roll.

Lyle, yes.

More area, yes.

Murphy.

Murphy, yes.

Robinson.

Robinson, yes.

Schumacher.

Schumacher recused because I left before the meeting was over.

Thank you.

We recuses.

West.

West, yes.

Dylan is a yes.

The minutes passed seven to zero with one recusal.

Moving forward.

Are there any continuations withdrawal special requests that we'd like to address?

Letitia.

Thank you, President Dylan and members of the commission.

I am Letitia Ramsey, the compliance manager for the Economic and Sammensteen DMD.

I am requesting that item twenty twenty six-a-A019 be tabled and set after the acquisition of the current tenant of building to be finalized.

Thank you.

In consultation with our council, I can just table it myself as chairman as a point of order.

It's done.

Tabled.

Thank you.

We'll wait for it to come back.

Thanks.

Any other continuance and special requests.

Yes, ma'am.

Introduce yourself.

Hello, my name is Jesse Baum.

I live at 334 North Elder.

Sorry.

Oh, me representing Stringtown now, registered neighborhood association, and I would like to trust.

Jesse, can you start over?

I was getting a lot of noise here.

It's you're with who?

Uh Stringtown Now, which is a registered neighborhood association.

I'd like to formally request as continuance for cause in the 2026 C VR CBC 803 case.

The DMD planning manager confirmed in writing that the traffic study should have been done for a project of this size.

No such study has been produced despite weeks of requests from us.

The commission cannot make findings required under 9.918.4 that approval will not be injurious to public health safety and welfare without analysis for the record.

Thank you.

Hold on, Jesse.

You lost me here.

Which um what's the site that you're requesting?

Pastor and Salsi.

Aha.

Number 14.

Got it.

Number 14 on the agenda.

Yes.

Thank you.

Stand by, please.

Counselor, you want to comment on this?

You're the lawyer for the petitioner.

Please come forward and introduce yourself.

Good afternoon, President Dylan Misha Rabinowich Offices at 1 Indiana Square, suite 1800, uh attorney for the uh petitioner in this matter.

And we do have a firm objection to the continuance.

The project was or the petition was filed in January.

We've been having conversations with DMD and DPW since early January January, including related to traffic and other issues.

We were not made aware that staff's request was we do a traffic study until late last uh week, and the request was that we perform a traffic study.

We make a commitment to performing a traffic study prior to the issuance of permits, which we are happy to do and will incorporate that commitment into the record.

So a traffic study will be done.

This is a low-income housing tax credit project with very tight timelines, um, a much needed um project, and so we'd ask that the case stay on the agenda.

Um I've spoken with the city councilor Jones, and she's in here and indicated that she doesn't support a continuance.

Counselor, can you come up, please?

Thank you.

How are you?

Good.

Thank you, President Dillon.

I prefer you go on the record versus the petitioner's lawyer.

Yes, sir.

Absolutely.

Yes, Kristen Jones, 714 Shepherd Street, Indianapolis, Indiana, City County Council for District 18, and I also am against this continuance request.

We've worked hard for many, many months working with the neighborhood, the neighborhood association, residents, DPW, the agencies, DMD, and them getting their everything in line for this, and they are willing to do the traffic study as chair chairwoman of public works.

I'm very familiar with traffic studies, and I will be held accountable to make sure that traffic study is done.

Thank you, Counselor, and as always.

Thank you for your support of MDC.

Kathleen, are you ready to go?

Yes, I am prepared to go forward today.

Your thoughts on this continuance requests.

Well, uh a traffic study is not required for a rezoning.

That is typically a request that is made by staff, and staff became aware that that this would be an appropriate time for a traffic study, but there is and the petitioner's representative has agreed that there would be a commitment that there would be a traffic study, and any recommendations to the infrastructure of this project would be included with the development.

Thank you.

But you're ready to go.

Yes, I'm prepared to go forward.

Members of the commission, we have a request for a continuance of 2026 C VR 803, and it's dovetail 2026 CVC 803.

You've heard the testimony.

If there's a somebody who wants to make a motion to continue this or not.

Is there anybody out there who wants to make a motion on the on the commission?

Seeing none, your request dies for lack of a motion.

Uh we're ready to go.

Counselor, we want to hear it.

Staff, we want to hear it, and I understand the remonstrators, we want to hear it.

Your West as well.

So we will hear the case today.

Any other requests?

Withdrawals.

Kathleen.

Yes, thank you, President Dillon.

Members of the commission.

Staff would draw your attention to item number nine, 2026 ZON026, located at 3565 South Keystone Avenue.

That will need to be continued to your June 3rd pending receipt of executed commitments, and that would require a motion and a vote.

Thank you.

Thank you, Kathleen.

Staffers request.

Is there anybody else who'd like to comment on this?

Counselor.

Yes.

Uh, thank you for coming forward.

Russell Brown with the law firm of Clark Quinn, 320 North Meridian Street.

We delivered those commitments to Kathleen.

They should and they were reviewed and I thought approved.

So I'm well that.

So I'm slightly shocked that we're it has to be continued.

Well, I may have missed that, but I trust Ms.

Russell that those have been submitted.

And so it can go forward.

And then there was only one commitment related to that, and it was having to maintain the lot uh clean and well maintained.

So we trusting and verifying, or yes, I am retracting my request for continuance.

Thank you.

Thank you, Russell.

Appreciate it.

Thank you, Russell.

Sorry about that.

Alright, so 2026 ZON 026 is back in play.

Any other requests?

Continuances, withdrawals.

Yes, uh President Dillon.

Members of the Commission, I'd like to bring your attention to uh agenda item 13.

This is for the proposed uh ordinance amendment 2026 A0001.

Uh we are asking uh to continue this to the June 3rd MDC hearing.

This will allow us to continue to review the uh public input that's been provided and provide you the most robust uh response uh for your review.

So uh with your permission, we'd like to move this to uh June 3rd MDC hearing.

Bryce, I'm curious.

Are you gonna be making changes to what was been submitted to us for review?

So right now that that's the key part of why we're asking for that to make sure that we can provide you all the information, including all the uh community input that we've uh have been provided.

So then you have a full comprehensive review when you have the ordinance amendment in front of you.

If you make a material change to what you've been presented to us may cause additional timing issues, you understand that we're fully aware.

Is there anybody else here today who would like to comment on this request of 2026 A019 being continued to June 3rd?

Seeing none, Commissioner Schumacher, can I get a motion to move 2026 A019 to the meeting of June 3rd 2026?

So moved.

Commissioner West, can I get a second?

Second, call the roll Hergett, yes, Lyle, Lyle, yes, more erity, moreity, yes, Murphy, Murphy, yes, Robinson, Robinson, yes, Schumacher.

Schumacher, yes.

West, yes.

Dylan is a yes, it passes eight to zero, and it's on track for the June 3rd, 2026 meeting.

Any other requests?

Withdrawals.

Continuances, Nancy.

Read the resolutions in the record, please.

Thank you, President Dillon and Commissioners.

Resolutions.

Real estate is 2026 R015 authorizes the Department of Metropolitan Development to convey title or an option to purchase title of property to the transferee as approved by the vacant to vibrant review committee for the purpose of providing development that will best serve the interests of the city.

2026 A019 was tabled.

2026 P004 establishes and approves a budget of 275 275,000 dollars for the groundwater protection fund and authorizes the Department of Metropolitan Development to administer the fund for the purposes of developing and operating education and voluntary business registration programs through the Marion County Well Field Education Corporation, MCWEC, and administering the well-field protection secondary zoning districts.

2026 P005 authorizes the Department of Metropolitan Development to access the public water supply systems of Marion County 275,000, $7500,000 for the purpose of funding the groundwater protection fund for 2026.

2026 P007 authorizes the Department of Metropolitan Development to execute an amendment to the contract number 2099 with multi-studio incorporated to finalize the Indianapolis Marion County Zoning and Subdivision Control Ordinance, the Indy Rezone in regard to equitable development in an overall not to exceed amount of 145,000 dollars with the term through December 2026.

This ends the reading of the resolutions.

Thank you, Nancy.

Members of the Commission, we have before us four policy resolutions that are not scheduled for a public hearing.

2026 R015 2026 P004 2026 P005 2026 P007.

I'd like to take all four at once.

Commissioner Morerity, can I get a motion to approve all four resolutions?

So moved.

Thank you.

Commissioner Murphy, can I get a second?

Second.

Let me call the roll.

Hergitty, yes.

Lyle.

Lyle, yes.

Morerity.

Mority, yes.

Murphy.

Murphy, yes.

Robinson.

Robinson, yes.

Schumacher.

Schumacher, yes.

West.

West, yes.

Dillon is a yes.

All four resolutions pass.

Nancy, can you read the petitions of no appeal into the record, please?

Thank you, President Dillon and Commissioners.

Petitions of no appeal recommended for approval by the hearing examiners.

7305 Kentucky Avenue and 8728 8732 8736 and 8740.

Tolson Drive, Decatur Township, Council District 21.

2026 ZON 020, 3520 Robson Street, Center Township, Council District 13.

2026 ZON 021 at 2065 Yandy Street Center Township Council District 13.

2026 ZON 026 at 3565 South Keystone Avenue.

Perry Township, Council District 22.

2026 ZON 028 at 6555 Carrollton Avenue, Washington Township, Council District 7.

2026 ZON 031 at 1750 West Morris Street Center Township Council District 18.

And last, 2026, REG 029 at 1140, Dr.

Martin Luther King Junior Street, Center Township, Council District 12.

This ends the reading of the petitions of no appeal.

Thank you, Nancy.

The following seven zoning petitions are recommended for approval.

2026 MOD 002 2026 ZON 020, 2026 Z O N 021, 2026 Z O N 026, 2026 Z O N O28, 2026 Z O N 031, 2026, REGO29.

Commissioner Hergett, I'd like to take all seven together.

Can I get a motion to approve?

So moved.

Commissioner Lyle, can I get a second?

Second.

Let me call the roll.

Herget.

Yes.

Lyle.

Lyle, yes.

Morarity.

Moreity, yes.

Murphy.

Murphy, yes.

Robinson.

Robinson, yes.

Schumacher.

Schumacher, yes.

West.

West, yes.

Dylan is a yes.

All seven petitions of no appeal have passed.

Nancy, let's read our first hearing into the record.

Thank you once again, President Dillon and Commissioners.

Our first set of petitions for public hearing are companion petitions approved by the hearing examiner, appeal filed by remonstrator.

2026 C VR 803 and 2026 CVC 803 amended at 1437 through 1533 odd Salcy Street.

1422 through 1528 even Astor Street and 219 Keeney Street, Center Township, Council District 18.

The property is zone D8RC.

Petitioners Union Holdings 3 LLC by Michael Ravinovich.

Not permitted, a building height of 50 feet, maximum 35 feet permitted, a floor area ratio of 1.88, maximum of 0.804 area ratio permitted, and a minimum livability space ratio of 0.07 minimum of 0.75 required.

Also require requesting vacation of the first east-west alley south of Salsi Street, ranging from 8 feet and 12 feet in width from the east right-of-way line of Keeney Street, being the southeast corner of lot 51 of Mintner's Wilmouth Place, Section 3, as recorded in Platbook 12, page 15 157 in the office of the recorder of Marion County, Indiana.

660 feet to the east and to the west right-of-way line of White River Parkway West Drive.

Also requesting vacation of the first north south alley west of White River Parkway West Drive, being 8 feet wide and the south right-of-way line of Salsi Street, 86 feet to the south to the north right-of-way line of the first east-west alley south of Salsi Street.

And vacating vacation of the second north south alley, west of White River Parkway, West Drive, being 14 feet wide, 220 feet south to the north right-away line of Astor Street.

Well, all those intending to testify on these petitions this afternoon, either for or against, please stand now to be identified.

And I believe you would have filled out a speaking slip.

anybody else going to speak?

Please raise your right hands.

I do.

I do.

Thank you.

Let me walk through the rules of engagement.

We will ask the petitioner to present their case.

They will have 15 minutes to do so.

I will then come to the remonstrators.

Jesse, are you going to be taking the lead on that?

So you had several people standing up.

You will also be given 15 minutes only to present your case.

I will then go to Council Jones for her comments and her position on the matter, and then I will go to staff to get the staff report.

After staff is done, I'll go back to the petitioner for five minutes of rebuttal, and I'll go back after that to remonstrators for five minutes of rebuttal.

We run an orderly, timely meeting.

Light goes on on your time.

You are done.

Counselor, you're on the clock, 15 minutes, go.

As Sir Misha Rabinowich again, one Indiana Square Suite 1800 in Indianapolis.

In this case, I represent the Annex Group, which is a locally based multifamily developer who focuses on affordable housing.

As many of you know, our city is in the middle of an affordable housing shortage.

Annex is a local developer that's trying to fill that need.

Here today on behalf of Annex is Joyce Gidmore and Ryan Clark is also here.

He's in the back.

We've worked closely with the Stringtown Neighborhood Association and City Councilor Christian Jones to develop the site plan, the elevations, and an agreement with the neighborhood that's mutually beneficial.

I'll talk about each of those things.

The neighborhood association has offered a letter of support in their materials at Tab 11, and Councillor Jones' letter of supports and your materials at Tab 10, and she's here and we'll we'll speak to you in support of the project.

I'll just move through the information that's included in the exhibits.

Behind tab one are some aerial shots of the site just to give you context.

Again, it's west of the White River, bounded by White River Parkway to the east of the site.

To the north is Salsi Street, to the south is Astra Street, and then Caney Street is to the west.

As part of this development, both Astor Street and Salsi Street, which are the two streets north and south, will be widened.

And that was a request that was made of us from DPW in our conversations as we studied kind of the circulation and the traffic flow in the area.

Behind tab two are some site photos.

The site consists of some vacant ground and then also a number of uh residential structures in varying stages of disrepair and decay.

All but one of those residential buildings is subject to a demolition order or uh or some sort of notice of violation.

The property owner uh behind tab three has studied the uh structures uh that are existing, and and the and their reports uh are behind tab three by a structural engineer.

The point is that these properties are decaying and significantly, and the properties in desperate need of improvement through this project.

Annex is investing, uh is making a 70 million dollar investment in the neighborhood to improve these properties and to put them to good use for much needed affordable housing.

The properties are already zoned D8.

We're not asking for rezoning.

D eight, as I'm sure you know, is a fairly intense uh residential zoning district where multifamily development is typically contemplated as opposed to single family development again.

The properties are already zoned D eight.

Um, in addition, as staff has pointed out in the staff report, the proposed development is consistent with the applicable land use plan, which is the near west neighborhood land use plan.

Not only does it recommend D8 development, but here are quote a couple quotes from uh this land use plan.

The area has a high number of vacant lots and unoccupied houses.

It is ripe for a shift in use.

Influences are busy Washington Street to the south, the neighboring Indianapolis Zoo, the adjacent White River, and proximity to downtown and IUPY and the potential for rapid transit along Washington Street corridor.

The other thing from the neighborhood plan that I think is relevant, it states that multifamily residential development in the area should take the form of purpose-built multifamily structures rather than subdividing the existing structures into multiple units.

In other words, as the hearing examiner had put in their recommendation of support for this project, she stated the proposed development is compatible with the single-family dwellings and would be an appropriate reuse of the site.

Annex is proposing a 242 unit multifamily development with 258 structured parking spaces that are an additional 44 parking spaces on the street and the around the property.

Again, the property is already zoned D8, but we're asking for several variances which are required because the Indy rezone has residential building type standards that to bring this type of density to a site with D8 zoning, which again is contemplated.

You'd need variances for height and some of the open space requirements.

So those are the variances that we're requesting.

Moving to tab four, which is the site plan.

As you can see, the eastern end of the site is reserved for some publicly accessible green space.

Behind tab five is the landscape plan.

We submitted the landscape plan in connection with the petition, it meets the ordinance green factor requirement.

The survey show that there are five on this 3.4-acre site.

There are just five heritage trees, and not minimizing the importance of heritage trees, but there were just five of them.

We understand that based upon the ordinance, there's a requirement to mitigate the removal of those trees.

And in this case, it's permitted under the ordinances because as staff has indicated, redevelopment of the site could not occur without it.

That being said, if you look at the site, the landscape plan, the proposal is to plant 96 new trees around the perimeter of the site.

So the landscaping will be vastly improved based upon what is being proposed here.

Moving to tab seven, tab six is the is the tree study.

Tab seven are floor plans.

I just wanted to note a couple of uh things briefly.

In conversations with the Stringtown Neighborhood Association, they expressed a real interest and need for a place where they could store lawn equipment and materials that they use throughout the neighborhood to help residents.

They asked whether that might be something that the developer would consider, and the developer is committing to that.

So you'll see on the first floor plan, there's a storage area identified on that plan for use by the neighborhood association.

Not quite locked down where it would be, whether it's inside the garage or here on the perimeter, but we've made that commitment in writing in the agreement.

Something else I wanted to point out because a number of residents, including uh members of the Stringtown Neighborhood Association, have uh talked about safety and security concerns, and we've committed to a number of things in the neighborhood association agreement, like having the garage and building locked and key electronic key fob access only on site management.

But one unique thing which I credit Counselor Jones for is, and I think this came from experience and other situations that that in consultation with the police chief, she she suggests that we consider, which is to allocate an area of the building for a fitness area and then permit IMPD officers, or in this case, since it's close to the university.

University offers officers to use that facility free of charge, which we're uh the petitioner is committing to do.

That at least brings some additional police presence.

We're also uh committing to include in the development uh connection to IMPD's B-link system.

For those of you that don't know, I've included some materials about the B-link system behind Tab 14.

B-link is a connection between the video cameras that are on site and uh the district's uh video cameras, and so it provides for quicker response time and monitoring by IMPD.

That's something that I think is uh important to them and is important to um annex.

Let's see, behind tab eight are building elevations, and then behind tab nine are some renderings.

The design of the building is still a work in in process.

We've had conversations with uh planning and with the city architect.

City architect asked that we continue to develop the um architecture as we move through the incentive part of the uh the approval process, which which we certainly will do.

Um the materials are are brick masonry and fiber cement siding.

Each of the units will have outdoor space, whether it's a patio or a balcony.

I wanted to talk a little bit about the our engagement with the community.

Um we know that there that not everybody agrees with this project.

Um we understand that, and that's okay, and that there are people who will speak against it.

Um, what I did want to make clear is that we have tried to communicate and listen to everyone.

It doesn't matter which group you're with.

We've spent time with the Stringtown Neighborhood Association folks.

We attended a public meeting that they called but was intent was attended by representative of both groups.

We attended a separate neighborhood association meeting called by the Stringtown Now Association.

We've responded to email requests for for information and tried to do everything we can to at least show that we are listening and going to be a good neighbor, and there are a number of changes that have been made made to the project as a result of those conversations.

Um I mentioned earlier the agreement between the petitioner and Stringtown Neighborhood Association, and that agreement uh is behind tab 12.

It provides not only for the safety and security um commitments that I talked about, the fitness facility available to IMPD and on-site management and those sorts of things, but a financial commitment that Annex is making to the neighborhood, to the neighborhood association that they can do improvement projects and things like that.

They've seen that work in other locations.

I know that Councillor Jones has worked on those types of agreements on projects that we've had, and it's it's been very beneficial.

So the point is that we've worked very hard to try to accommodate concerns.

We know that change is um difficult, but we're really working to bring a good project to the neighborhood.

With that, we'd ask for uh your approval of the variances and the vacation that is required to permit this development to move forward, and the approval we that we'd request would be subject to the commitment to perform the traffic study as I indicated uh earlier and to make the any improvements to infrastructure that are required by that traffic study.

Questions for the petitioner.

Hearing none, thank you, counselor.

Jesse.

Remonstrators, you have 15 minutes to make your case.

Jesse, you were duly sworn, correct?

Yes, sir.

Please introduce yourself again and your address.

My name is Jesse Baum.

I live at 334 North Elder.

I'm here representing Stringtown now, a registered neighborhood association.

Um I do have some packets.

If I can hand them to you, Nancy.

Okay.

Thank you.

Nancy, start o'clock, please.

Jesse, you're on fifteen minutes.

Go thank you.

Before I start, I would like to note one thing.

I am a citizen who works 11-hour days, and I'm also finishing my degree currently.

I have no training in planning beyond recently attending the People's Planning Academy, and what I have taught myself in the last year.

I've spent countless hours reading land use plans, zoning ordinances, and codes, and many parts of the comprehensive plan as well.

Every planner here knows me by name at least because I am emailing them always, asking questions and trying to be the most informed community member that I can be, and to also inform my other community members.

We take time away from our families and our lives to stay on top of often changing hearing dates, do our best to decipher complicated legal paperwork we get in the mail and take days off work without pay to be here arguing against experts who are paid quite well to be here.

So with that, I would like to start uh with some findings of fact.

The proposed vacation is in the public interest because the compared comprehensive development of the underutilized and decaying site would be facilitated by proposed development.

I want to note here that the current owner of this land has engaged in purposeful demolition by neglect and willful destruction of these homes.

Within the last year, windows and siding were removed, leaving them open to the elements, copper and wiring were removed, interiors gutted, and no repairs done.

As recently as 2024, many of these homes were occupied.

One still is occupied by a family.

As our neighborhood has been robbed of usable housing inventory, and now we're being told this is our to benefit to our benefit.

There is a lot of vacant land in Stringtown.

Taking land that has historic single family homes that could be rehabbed is not right.

Pardon me.

We are not against development.

We are against development that harms our community.

We, like many others, envision development that preserves and rehabilitates our poor and working class community and builds affordable homes.

We also support multifamily development consistent with the current zoning and comprehensive plan.

There was a community meeting between Annex Group and their lawyer held on April 13th that we attended as Stringtown Neighborhood Association.

We were invited by the Stringtown Neighborhood Association.

The Stringtown Neighborhood Association is operated solely by one person who does not live in our neighborhood or on property in Stringtown.

At the April 13th meeting they held, we were informed about closed door meetings between the Annex Group, Stringtown Neighborhood Association, and our city county counselor that have been taking place since December of 2025.

Even though Stringtown Now has been a registered neighborhood association with the city since before the petition was filed, we were left out of these conversations.

Stringtown now and other neighbors, property owners, church leaders, and landlords were all left out of these conversations that were had about this development for months.

Last year, this development, excuse me, this plot of land was denied multiple times for demolition of these properties because there was no plan.

Then this is the plan that was given, but again, there's a lot of vacant land in Stringtown that could be utilized for this.

We don't need to tear down more single-family homes.

Because I understand that not everyone could attend the meeting in person on April 13th.

I personally door knocked every door surrounding the proposed development because I under- oh, sorry.

I spoke to elderly and disabled residents as well as non-English speaking residents, and not one person I spoke to was in support.

I presented you with a petition to that effect, and there are more than 35 signatures there and approximately 35 homes in that area.

You should have a map in your packet showing which homes I went to.

A building of this size's density is not currently allowed by the zoning for many reasons.

Quite simply, this nearly 200-year-old neighborhood was not designed for that number of people and cars in such a small area.

The neighborhood will suffer in numerous ways if it's built.

Severe impacts to quality of life include numerous health and safety concerns, parking and traffic issues, lack of privacy, viewshed, and sunlight, historic integrity, and environmental safety, which I'll talk more about that in just a moment.

Next slide, please.

As I mentioned, Stringtown now accepts and welcomes substantial density.

The Near West land use plan recommends that 8 to 15 units per acre are built.

The current zoning allows for low-rise apartments, garden apartments, townhouses, and row homes.

We have the Coen Commons, which I included a picture of as well, a low-rise apartment building just a block away from this site.

It blends well with the surrounding homes and allows for density.

I want to note that I've been told repeatedly that the city wants density.

And despite the zoning for this area, we need more density.

The density doesn't outweigh the needs of our community, however.

This question isn't if the city needs density, it's whether the variance meets the standard.

Although it has been suggested that Stringtowners are against affordable housing, I would like to say that that's not the case at all.

We are a poor and working class community and have been since Stringtown was founded in 1888.

The area area median income level used to calculate the prices for this building, making it affordable, does not reflect actual Stringtown incomes per the Near West health impact report, which documents median household incomes of less than $50,000.

This isn't affordable housing.

It's gentrification, and it will lead to people being pushed out of our neighborhood.

Next slide, please.

There have been countless reports of substandard living conditions, violence, and many other problems from their nearby affordable development union at 16th.

You received a letter from Reverend Ben Hine detailing the extreme challenges he's experienced in his work with the residents of Union at 16th.

I have also sent you crime statistics for that location from IMPD.

This includes many violent and sexual crimes, theft, drugs, multiple hit and runs, an officer-involved shooting, and a nearly fatal shooting just last month.

Reverend Hines' letter and the Google reviews from residents paint a disturbing picture of neglect, roach and mice infestations, lack of promised services, including their on-site gym being inaccessible for years, and generally deplorable conditions throughout.

This building will not make our neighborhood safer or better in any way.

We have been told by Annex Group that they learned from their mistakes.

But if that's true, why haven't they improved the conditions in the building they already own and operate?

In fact, crime has gone up in the last year since Annex Group took over management of that property.

Next slide, please.

At this time, no traffic study has been done to calculate how this outsized development would negatively affect the traffic of our neighborhood.

Recently, we have seen major increase in cut through traffic from the West Washington transit construction.

And soon the 16th Street bridge closure will also send more people directly through our small neighborhood.

We have already taxed small streets, and people tend to drive really fast when they're cutting through as well.

These projects are projected to take at least two more years.

That's for the West Washington and for the 16th Street Bridge.

Pending DPW, excuse me, pending DPW approval, only Astra and Salsi Streets would be improved, leaving Coen, which is the street on the far left of that image, and other surrounding streets to bear the brunt of massive increases in traffic.

Next slide, please.

As I mentioned, this historic neighborhood was not designed for a building of this size with hundreds more residents in a very small block, which is why a large apartment complex is not permitted in the zoning district.

The census block covering this area and most of Stringtown has a population of only 1,578 people, adding a 242 unit with up to three bedroom units is adding hundreds more people.

The building limit is 35 feet for height, they are asking for 50, which is a 43% increase over the limit.

The floor area ratio is 0.80.

They are asking for more than double.

Usable outdoor space is required to be 75% at that site.

The proposing is in nine, sorry, what they are proposing is a 91% reduction.

Five heritage trees protected under the Sydney ordeance are also in danger.

Once these trees are removed, our neighborhood will suffer the consequences for decades, if not longer.

Saplings do not provide the benefits and often do not survive into maturity.

Proximity to the White River Park does nothing to mitigate how this will affect our stormwater runoff, heat islands, and sorry, uh, and pollution mitigation.

Stringtown has excessive pollution, stormwater runoff, and heat island issues currently.

Our tree canopy coverage is 20%, which is very low for a residential neighborhood, marking it in the highest priority group according to the American Forest tree equity score.

I did include a map of that as well in your packet.

This resource shows that Stringtown is 10 degrees hotter than the areas surrounding us.

That includes campus to the left, Hawthorne, all the areas directly around us are 10 degrees cooler.

And that the area that they're proposing to demolish is one of the lushest parts of the neighborhood.

When you're there, you can notably feel the difference in temperature.

If you want a neighborhood to be walkable, it has to be walkable in actuality.

If you get heat stroke every time you try to walk somewhere, it's not walkable.

In addition to this, many Stringtown residents have no AC or just one window unit for their entire home.

We also have a lot of elderly residents, and we desperately need the tree coverage.

Excuse me.

Allowing a 91% reduction in green space and demolition of five heritage trees, plus countless other smaller trees will have a massive effect on these issues.

Saplings, no matter how many, simply cannot replace the benefits offered by large growth trees.

The city's own infill housing guidelines specifically instruct that heritage trees be protected.

The standard is preservation, not mitigation.

Next slide, please.

When we were asked if attempts were made to design around these hundred-plus-year-old trees, we were told that it couldn't be done.

This is simply not true.

If projects like single family homes or townhouses or rowhomes were developed here, they could easily be saved.

The hackberry shown in this picture has been growing since before Singtown was a part of Indianapolis.

Like some of the homes on this lot, it survived the great 1913 flood and that almost wiped Stringtown off the map.

Next slide, please.

Demolish is not the only option.

There are several homes being rehabbed currently in Stringtown, and here is just one example from less than a walk away.

As you can see, they had to rebuild almost the entire structure.

Next slide, please.

These are just a few examples of homes that the WCDC has built in the area.

The lower picture is on West Washington, the higher one is on North Pershing.

These are affordable homes that were built in our area.

It can be done.

Next slide, please.

I won't read everything here, but this is the legal standard uh for Indiana Code Title 36.

The proposed development violates every part of it.

I'd like to just touch on a few points.

Next slide, please.

General health and welfare.

According to the 2025 Near West Health Impact Assessment, we have a 40% higher lung cancer rate, 28% higher COPD rate, and 9% higher lung cancer death rate than the county average.

We need these heritage trees.

And the infill housing guidelines list preservation of significant trees as direct community health and welfare benefit.

Stepping down the height of the building at one end.

Oh, sorry.

Does not negate the issues of how high it is.

That was something different.

I apologize.

The impact on adjacent property.

The step down one side does not nullify the public assets like the protected view sheds that will be obstructed.

Not only will the views of downtown skyline be obstructed, this building will also block substantial amounts of sunlight from the surrounding properties as well.

Buildings on local residential streets and like Salsi and Astor warrant the most conservative height restrictions.

Violation number three, peculiar condition of the land.

There are this is a standard residential lot, there are no peculiar conditions.

Violation four, a necessary hardship.

My last slide, please.

Violation number five a consistency with the comprehensive plan.

Every layer of Indianapolis' planning framework says no to this development.

The pattern book recommends five to fifteen units per acre, as well as the near west near West Land Use Plan recommending eight to fifteen.

This project proposes seventy-one.

The regional center caps residential density at 26 units per acre.

This project is nearly three times that.

State that placing smaller homes next to significantly larger out-of-scale structures reduces affordable housing stock and limits long-term residents' ability to stay in their neighborhood.

In addition to this, we've been told that NX Group hopes to have short term residents.

They want people to have high turnover rate, which leads to more people just you are our neighborhood as a pass through.

And finally, this project contradicts all standards.

Considering these matters, we humbly request that you deny the approval of this project outright.

Last slide, please.

Thank you for your time.

And I'd like to finish with a quote from the Near West quality of life plan.

The Near West side envisions a clean, tree-lined front porch community with affordable family homes, either newly constructed to complement this older neighborhood or restored to preserve the natural wood floors, leaded glass windows, and other amenities of a hundred-year-old dwellings.

Thank you for your time.

Questions from the remonstrator?

Hold on, Jesse.

Don't run away.

Yes, President Dilly.

Commissioner, go ahead, um.

You mentioned the pattern book.

Yes.

Uh do you have that pattern book?

Do you have reference to it?

I'm not believing I believe one moment.

Let me look and see if I have a only have the near west landing plan with me today.

Um, I can send an email, I believe it's on page 16 of the land use plan.

I'm sure I'm trying to remember from what I presented last time about a month ago.

Totally fine.

I have a separate question for staff, but just to know that it exists is important.

So thank you for having reference to it.

I think that'll come in handy later.

Thank you.

Yeah, just one.

Please.

Thank you.

The list here of police calls.

Yes, sir.

What is it?

Is that to 16th at Union?

Is that what that is?

2152 Emmerich Lane is the address there.

And those are just during the time, obviously, from when it was built to I believe last month when I got those two.

Last three years, yeah.

Okay, thank you.

Of course.

Final questions from the remonstrator.

Thanks, Jesse.

Stand by, we'll bring you back up.

Thank you.

Counselor Jones.

Welcome.

As I said earlier, thank you for being a great advocate of the MDC.

We appreciate it.

Absolutely.

Thank you.

Kristen Jones, 714 Shepard Street, Indianapolis, Indiana, 46221.

Thank you, President Dillon and Commissioners, and thank you for volunteering your time on the MDC Commission.

I appreciate your service to our city.

As you've heard, uh, we have supporters and remonstrators, and this is a big decision that you have to make before us.

And we've spent lots of time in our neighborhood on this.

And when this came before us, this is not new to you.

I spend lots of time with my constituents, door knocking, making phone calls to find out what's important to my community.

So when this came before me, the project that is before you today is not the project that we started with.

And the Annex group and Misha took a lot of feedback and they really changed the project.

And you as you've heard about crime, for instance, the crime situation, that's where that IMPD with the fitness room came in.

So they had a crime situation, and I heard lots of feedback from my constituents about crime.

When I would door knock and I would call into Stringtown, crime was crime was in a situation.

So that's why I worked with IMPD and the campus police to get a presence into Stringtown with the fitness room.

So it was mutually beneficial beneficial to the community and to the police department.

And so that put a presence.

So the situation that they're talking about that's happening at the other one, we hope will not happen.

We're trying to find situations that we can fix.

So when I'm talking to my constituents and they said parking is an issue, we worked with Annex group to mitigate the parking situation.

So we really worked hard over the last six to seven months talking to the constituents, talking to the folks to say, okay, what I know, I understand that when we bring in something like this, this is going to be a sacrifice, this is going to be a strain on the residents.

And so how can we work with a community benefits agreement to get it in writing to come before you so that you all can hold them accountable to help the community have some sort of benefit for this sacrifice that they're gonna have to go through.

You know, whether it's paved roads, we've heard about walkability, um, so it's to get some sidewalks, to get some alleys, alleys when I'm walking and I'm knocking doors, it's infrastructure.

It's infrastructure, infrastructure, infrastructure that I hear about the most.

So for me, I'm talking about alleys, it's sidewalks, it's roads to get repaired.

Um, and for that financial component, I'm not benefiting from that.

Frank Staples isn't benefiting from that.

It's the neighborhood.

We heard that a resident needs air conditioners.

There's residents in string towns that don't have air conditioners.

So that's one thing that that money can go back directly into the neighborhood to help those residents get things that we take for granted and help those residents get some air conditioners to get a roof fixed.

That benefit is going to go directly back into that neighborhood to help those residents.

So that's something that I felt that we were really I was really proud of to help work with Annex over those last six months working with that neighborhood to get that in writing to come before you to let you all hopefully help us get those resources for that neighborhood.

Um, and as you all know, we have a housing crisis in Indianapolis, and so this is this is something that we can put on the map.

Um, if you listen to the hearing examiner uh testimony, there was some very offensive words said that really hurt my heart from the remonstrators, how they felt about this project.

I certainly don't feel that way.

The other neighborhood association does not feel that way.

The petitioner does not feel that way.

I feel this is a good project.

I feel it's something that we can be very proud of in our city, and um I'm really humbly asking for your your support because we worked really hard, and I do know it's a sacrifice for the neighborhood, but I think the community benefits agreement will help ease some of that pain that the construction is going to be and that footprint is gonna be.

So thank you very much.

Questions for Councillor Jones, please.

Yes, President Dillon.

Go ahead.

Uh, Councillor Jones, thank you for being here.

Just a couple of questions about the other large-scale developments that are in the general vicinity.

Yes.

Uh, it looks like there's one on Tinth in White River.

There's one on Michigan Street in White River.

Um, so this complaint of crime that's a little further up towards uh Belmont Beach area.

Um, what sort of effect have you seen in the closer apartment buildings to this proposed development?

So, what do you mean by effects?

So you've got two very large apartment style developments in a mere blocks away from this proposed one, different developers, I'm sure.

But are you seeing increases in crime or any of these other reports at the closer ones to this versus complaining about a single developer?

So that's not it's not it's not my district, it's a different district line.

However, that's where that conversation started.

I went to the police commander with that and I said, How can we change this?

What can we do?

There are these situations within these apartment complexes, and how do we change that?

And one of the things that I think you heard about was security.

So it's security getting into the building, changing the way that you have to have a key fob to get into this the apartment.

It was the parking was internal, and then it was police sites.

So if you see a police car, whether they're on duty or not, in the presence around the apartment complex, that just changes your mentality, right?

You're probably not gonna commit a crime if you see a police car, and that's where the fitness room came into play.

And so uh Commander Foley and I had this conversation about starting that process.

He said he'd seen it work in different, so I started it in a different complex apartment in a different area of my district, and he said, Let's start doing this and let's see if that helps.

And so it was just an idea that we had in other areas of my district.

They're asking for police presence with police cars, and we're seeing I did it in an assisted living um on the east side of my district, and they said you would not, they were having packages stolen and things like that.

And they said, Kristen, you will not believe the difference that it made just by having that police car in the parking lot.

Things have completely stopped.

So I can't tell you about like those two apartments just because I don't have the same connection because it isn't my district, but I can tell you for the things that I've done, it has completely changed the mentality when you have a police car in the presence in that area.

Things do slow down, and so that's right.

We thought this will work, it gives them the opportunity they can go work out for free, and then there is a police car in that vicinity.

Also, then there's a police officer in the apartment building, right?

Even if they're off duty, they still are in that apartment building, and that also gives the residents a sense of security.

Okay, being where what are the boundaries of your district?

So the boundaries of my district.

So I go to I go to Troy, I go it it wavers over there at Michigan, it kind of goes up and down, but I do go to uh Washington Street, but I go a little bit north.

I do have Stringtown, I do have a little bit of Hallville, and then I go all the way to the criminal justice center and I go to Belmont.

So it's kind of like a triangle, and then I have one precinct in Perry.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Final questions for the counselor.

One quick question, please.

Sure.

You talked about the um donation.

Yes, uh, for air conditioners, roof repairs, things like that to the neighbors.

Is there a plan in place or would there be some sort of plan in place for the administration of that?

That would be uh the neighborhood association, it would go through the neighborhood association, and they'll have a plan in place, probably the most need um that would not have anything.

I will not touch any money, it won't have anything to do with me.

But yeah, they'll have a plan in place for that.

Okay, thank you.

Yes, sir.

Kristen, given that we have kind of two neighborhood associations here, who would administrate that?

That the MOE or the community benefits agreement was made with the stringtown neighborhood association.

Final questions for the counselor.

Uh yeah, just one additional one.

There was a mention about um the communication timeline.

Uh so with the string town now not being communicated with in the same sort of fashion or or timing that the stringtown neighborhood association was communicated with.

Can you speak on why that occurred?

Sure, I can tell you from my aspect.

So when they broke off, Stringtown now broke off from Stringtown Neighborhood Association.

I made an effort to reach out and have a meeting with Stringtown Now folks, and I had a time and a place to meet with them to continue the conversation because I am the counselor, I represent everyone, and we had a meeting time and a place so I could continue those conversations, and they canceled that and chose not to continue the conversation with me.

So they have after the last meeting that we had.

They have reached out since, and I have responded, and hopefully we'll get it back going again, but they chose not to meet with me.

So that was not on my end.

Thank you.

But I cannot, I can't for the other drama that's going on in the neighborhood.

I can't answer for.

Counselor, thank you for being here.

Absolutely.

I appreciate your testimony.

Any other questions?

I think we're good.

Okay, thank you.

Staff Kathleen.

Thank you, President Dillon, members of the commission.

Staff is recommending approval of both the variances and the vacations.

You will frequently hear staff reference the com the comprehensive plan and the pattern book.

In this case, this area is under as it and Mr.

Rabinovich mentioned it near Westside Neighborhood Land Use Plan.

There are approximately nine of those plans that are scattered throughout the county that is just for that neighborhood, their subneighborhood plans.

That's the plan that we're looking at now.

It does not include the pattern book because frequently, excuse me, those plans will include development standards and guidelines in those individual plans.

And again, this particular location is not located within, it is located within one of those sub-area plans, which is the near West Side Neighborhood Land Use Plan.

And I do know that staff works very closely with those neighborhoods as they have developed those plans.

But again, it becomes part of the comprehensive plan, but it's separate from the comprehensive plan because it's specific for that area.

The reason staff, again, they get staff's recommendations, as you know, staff supports plans, comprehensive plan, and in this case, staff is supportive of that near West Side neighborhood land use plan.

And Misha has already talked about some of those comments that is in the staff report that relates to the reason for staff support.

It's ripe for a shift in use, and because you've got Washington Street, you have the zoo, you have the views downtown, you have IUPUI, and then you have the blue line that is coming through this area.

The plan for this neighborhood also identifies the southern portion of this side, and that's the from the alley to the south as a critical area.

It talks about mixed use and multifamily residence and multi-family structures rather than subdividing of single family homes into numerous units.

So for these reasons, staff believes and supports that this project would be appropriate for this neighborhood because it does respond to that neighborhood plan.

Getting to the vacations, and I do want to clarify it is really not, excuse me, it is not there's an error there on the notice or the description of the vacation that says all with a waiver of the assessment of benefits.

That should be stricken from that request because the petitioners representative, they've already engaged an appraisal of those alleys and the value of those alleys, and so it will be, there will be an assessment of benefits that will be required to be made.

It is in a separate meeting to follow this one.

And there is a motion, and I will reference that in a minute.

But again, some of these alleys are not improved, some have been improved, but in order for this development to go forward, it will need the vacation of those alleys.

There is a staff is again recommending approval of the vacation.

There is a motion on page 17 of the staff report, and that's the recommended vacation motion.

And again, it talks about the assessment of benefits that will be heard uh in the folly in the meeting on June 3rd.

That's what staff is looking at do questions for staff i'll come back to you cathline okay uh just one i think um can you help me understand on page sixteen in the height restriction variance request yes staff supports the variance of development standards for a maximum height of 50 feet when the ordinance and d8 limits at 35 that is correct and documents note a reduction in the height to the west but staff would encourage consideration of height restrictions reductions in the north and south due to proximity to existing dwellings yes right so then on page 19 um it says new buildings should be respectful of solidly single family residential street to the north and east of the critical area and counselor Misha mentioned the final bullet point in his testimony earlier that the area should take the form of purpose built multifamily structures correctly as mentioned here but he did not mention that staff's statement right above it says although new structures will likely be tall enough to take advantage of views they should not loom over existing homes on Saucy Reisner and Richland Streets.

So is it that they should not and that is the question of the height difference from 35 to 50 or is it on page 16 whereas it says that it's an encouragement of a consideration.

Thank you for bringing that up I would also and I neglected to mention that this isn't an overlay district the regional center overlay so there will be a separate hearing on this project for the regional center approval and yes I know they have been working I'm talking about staff and the incentives team has been working with this developer to respect the neighborhood and that's why staff put in there consideration of the reduction of the height when you're looking when it abuts that neighborhood to the north as well as the south so yes we would like to see it be integrated into the neighborhood but at the same time we also understand that in order to provide the service for affordable housing that we do need to have a height that is going to allow for that development so yes we would encourage it but we also understand that there is the challenge of integrating it into that neighborhood.

I can understand that there's a a tension there between trying to maximize square footage and unit count and all of those things but I think my question is you use the phrase in the report in the recommendations for critical area number nine that it should not loom over the existing homes that is correct.

And if that's the perspective I think should not is a pretty clear indication that that is what should be respected and not merely an encouragement not to do so.

Well and I believe that that's why they are stepping down the building there to the west or yep but this is in reference to north and south northwest.

Right I understand that but that and that's why staff would like to see that that should be considered as part of the development of this as part of this development and the building architecture it needs to again I guess back it should not loom over those residents there that to the along that southern boundary as well as that northern boundary.

And I think critically if you look at the map this is not at a major intersection as is the other two developments that are a little bit further up mere blocks on White River Parkway at 16th and at Michigan right so I think even with respect to that context dependent if you're saying should not loom over the homes in a non-commercial corridor like this, I think that makes more sense for the building to be stepped back further in the north and south than it is currently presented versus it being a mere recommendation.

Yes.

And so I think there should there should be some additional conversation about what that actually looks like in real life because it doesn't feel satisfactory here.

Yeah, I agree with that.

And that and that is why staff put that that comment in there just because we don't want we want this to be integrated in there and not loom over that the neighborhood.

So yeah.

Yeah, it stands currently.

It is not.

So I just wanted to make that mention, but thank you for your perspective.

Well, and I do want to say there will be another level of review for the regional center, and the neighborhood will be able to engage in that hearing also.

Understood, thank you.

Final questions for staff.

Kathleen, I have one.

Sure.

I'm confused on the vacation motion.

Yes.

The language says that a hearing upon assessment of benefits to be held on June 3rd, 2026.

Is that still accurate?

That is correct.

Okay.

So we're still the recommended vacation motion still in place.

Yes, it is.

The appraisal of that vacation has been submitted.

There's just a couple more documents that need to be submitted, and Rabinovich has indicated that those will be and we would be ready to go on June 3rd with the assessment of benefits on this.

Thank you.

And you conclude with staff is for this project.

Yes, staff supports both the variants and the vacations.

Petitioner, you have five minutes for rebuttal.

Nancy, please reset the clock.

Thank uh thank you, President.

I do at this point there were questions I want to uh address directly.

Commissioner Lyle and Commissioner West both asked think safety security was part of it.

Um and I want to introduce Joy Skidmore from Annex to talk about uh those two issues, and then I want to get to the kind of building scale.

Joyce, you've been uh sworn in.

Yes.

Please introduce yourself and your address.

Joy Skidmore, 8680 Edison Plaza Drive, Fisher's Indiana 46038.

Uh, I'm with the annex group.

Thank you, members of the commissioner for allow commission for allowing us to present today.

I do want to speak to the safety and we we certainly understand and echo the concerns for union at 16th Street, however, did want to point out that while these projects are in close proximity to each other, they are two completely distinct micro neighborhoods.

Um at 16th is located along the 16th Street corridor and at Lafayette Road, which there's much higher crime rate in that location than at Stringtown or within the Stringtown neighborhood.

Um I know there was concern um on the comment I made regarding you know lessons learned.

Um this was one of our first three projects, was union at 16th Street, and since then we have developed 30 successful developments that are open and operating across the United States.

So within, you know, since then and and in development of those 30 operating properties, we've learned that design is really really important to pay attention to.

Union at 16th Street has open parking lots.

There is an amenity that is in each and every building of the five buildings on the site.

So the man amenities are spread out across the site, which makes it extremely difficult on our management team to make sure that they're policing those areas and also policing the parking lot.

So this design being one building with controlled parking internal to the site that will be gated parking, also gated FOB access into the building, all of those things are those lessons learned that I mentioned.

Um as I said, you know, Annex Group has grown quite a bit since union at 16th Street.

We've learned how to better operate our properties.

We are working closely with IMPD on union at 16th Street.

We understand it's a problem, and our property management team is all over it trying to figure out a solution to the problems that are there.

I also want to speak to the high turnover rate comment.

Yes, I did make that comment.

Our goal at the Annex group is to make a positive impact on the people that live, work, and are involved in our communities.

That positive impact includes making sure or trying to ensure that maybe our residents don't qualify to live in low-income housing any longer because we've helped them become successful, we've helped them make more money, we've helped them better their situation so that they no longer can income qualify and they can go live in market rate communities or own their own home.

So that is our goal at the NX Group.

So I Commissioner, I'll use the word tension, and that was a good one.

Because there is a there is a tension.

There's a tension between uh bringing density and what's necessary to support an affordable housing project like this one, and trying to be sensitive to the existing single-family residential that surrounds the property.

There's also the uniqueness of this site along White River, where you have a reason to have some height along the east.

I think you sort of recognize that, but you have on the north at least and the south, some single family residential that's at a that's at a lower um height.

When we originally started this project, and but Mr.

York may not remember this because it was so long ago, but we actually had a five-story building, and it was staff's feedback to us that bring the the height down on the west where you have the most single family, and reduce the height on the east as much as you can, and that's what we've done.

I can tell you that you as I started, you have to have a certain amount of density to support an affordable housing project.

And we're at the we're as thin as you can get, so we've talked with staff about working as hard as we can on modifications to the architecture of the building to try to bring the scale down a bit, and we will continue to have those conversations with staff as Kathleen indicated.

We have to go through the regional center approval process, and so there is a check and balance or an accounting accounting uh on us for that.

Um, but I'm telling you to bring an affordable housing, Counselor, that's your turn.

We have to have that.

Any questions for the petitioner?

Final questions for the petitioner, hearing none.

Thank you, Counselor Remonstrator.

Jesse, you have five minutes for rebuttal.

Please reintroduce yourself and go.

Thank you.

Uh Jesse Baum, 334 North Elder, uh, representing Stringtown now Neighborhood Association.

Uh, I wanted to note a few things that came up during the questions.

Um, the proximity to the zoo and IP IUPUI were mentioned.

I would just like to note that the land the zoo is on was formerly Stringtown.

We were had 70 acres of homes taken when the zoo was built and the road was moved.

So we've already lost a substantial chunk of our neighborhood.

And in reference to IUPY, we all know that ransom place used to be a neighborhood that existed there.

Chipping away at our neighborhood will result in the same end goal.

Our neighborhood is not a blank slate for someone else's dreams.

Density and a need for affordable housing does not negate that we are a neighborhood that deserves to be treated with respect.

And again, we are a poor and working-class community, we're not against affordable housing, we're not against density, we're not against department buildings.

I'm given many examples of what we are absolutely fine with.

Uh, in terms of Joy saying that it's completely different neighborhood at Union at 16th, I think that's kind of interesting because Councillor Jones said that in other areas of her district, having police come on their off time works.

So, why does that apply to one person but not to the other?

So, if it's a different place, it's a different place.

Different things apply.

I want to also say that in reference to that if that safety plan relies on the idea that police officers come there and they're off time.

What if they don't?

They have no requirement to, and I also if they're working out, are they supposed to stop a crime in the middle of doing reps or just think that's kind of an interesting situation?

Um in terms of what Counselor Jones said about our meeting.

It was not with me, it was with another person in my group.

In addition to that, it was canceled due to scheduling and was just never rescheduled.

She knew that we are a neighborhood association that exists and is active in the neighborhood, and again, we are registered with the city.

There's no reason we should have been left out of those conversations, and I do actually have the timeline.

Uh meeting with Kristen Jones December 8th was the first one.

Meeting with planning staff, December 16th, meeting with Stringtown Neighborhood Association and Councillor Jones, December 22nd, meeting with Stringtown Neighborhood Association and Counselor Jones, March 10th, and then the meeting with Stringtown Neighborhood Association was April 13th.

By that point, Kristen Jones had already written her letter of support and submitted it.

So when was this community engagement supposed to happen?

In addition to this, uh no one besides Stringtown now.

I'm sorry, sorry, Stringtown Neighborhood Association requested money or a shed.

We don't want those things.

We want our neighborhood.

Sorry.

We just want things that fit into our neighborhood and make sense.

Don't harm us in terms of traffic or money or pollution.

I think that's it.

Thank you.

Final questions for the remonstrator.

Thank you, Jesse.

Thank you very much.

Members of the commission go to your ballots, and as you go to your ballots under statute, I'm going to read in the first motion for vacation, which is uh under your 2026 CVC 803.

The Metropolitan Development Commission's find the proposed vacations are in the public interest that a hearing upon the assessment of benefits to be held on June 3rd, 2026, that the Metropolitan Development Commission confirm and ratify the adoption of the declaratory resolution 2026 CVC 803, and that the vacation be subject to the rights of public utilities under IC 36-7-3-16.

Commissioner Robinson, can I get a second?

Thank you.

Go to your ballots.

You have two votes, one on the variance, one on the vacation.

There were three, four, six.

There were eight ballots cast, and there were seven.

Yes.

Excuse me, there were one, two, three, four, five, six yes votes.

One no vote, and one recusal.

This petition has been approved.

The next petition is companion vacation 2026 CVC 803 amended.

Again, there were eight ballots.

There were one, two, three, four, five, six yes votes.

One no vote, and one recusal.

This petition has also been approved.

The petition has been passed.

Thank you for everybody's participation.

Please leave quietly.

Nancy, can you read the next hearing into the record?

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

Our next petitions for public hearing are a set of companion petitions transferred from the hearing examiner for initial hearing.

2026 CZN 814.

2026 CBR 814 at 1438 East Washington Street.

Damien Center Incorporated by Joseph D.

Caldren requesting rezoning of 0.389 acre from the MU1 TOD and MUT, MU2 TOD districts to the D9 TOD district for a meeting of apartment development.

Also requesting a variance of development standards of the consolidated zoning and subdivision ordinance to provide for 10 parking spaces, minimum minimum of 21 parking spaces required.

Well, all those intending to testify on these petitions this afternoon, either for or against anybody else going to speak and testify.

Please stand now or at least raise your right hands and clearly see you.

Thank you.

Do you swear or affirm an opinion of perjury to tell the truth and nothing but the truth?

Say I do.

I do.

Thank you.

Counselor welcome.

Let me walk through the rules of engagement.

I do not see any remonstrators here.

Is that correct?

Council will give you 15 minutes to present the petition of the case.

Thank you.

I'll then again ask for remonstrators.

I don't see any.

I will then go to staff.

I also don't see any city council members here.

I'll come back to you for any rebuttal that's necessary.

Uh and then we'll take a vote.

You're on the clock, perfect.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, President Dillon, members of the commission.

Joe Calderan, attorney with offices at 11 South Meridian here in Indianapolis.

And I'm proud today to present on behalf of the Damien Center, Inc., truly one of the uh shining jewels in our not-for-profit world providing uh important services to our community.

And this case relates directly to uh their uh ability and their mission to do that.

I had not realized until I uh got engaged that amongst other things that Damien Center does, it does have a housing component in terms of uh offering services for those who need it within the community and the population uh clients that they serve.

So uh the Damien Center uh is the petitioner uh in this matter.

We are here today very similarly to the last case because this is uh a matter that um will be going before the IHCDA uh in July.

So uh we were uh we had asked uh the hearing examiner and staff if they would support a direct transfer of this case to the MDC so that we could meet uh IHCDA uh deadlines and this enabled us to uh appear before you today and potentially get in front of city county council for their meeting in June.

What we're proposing today, uh, and I do have Alan Witchy and Alexandra Bavender from Damien Center here, as well as the developer, uh Andrea Kent and Elena Cutler from ALK Development that are here to answer questions.

I got pulled into this um kind of early, part of the spring, and uh there had already been conversations initiated between the development team uh and staff.

And as you probably heard Nancy read uh the case into the uh record, this site has MU1 and MU2 zoning.

The project that we're proposing today is not a mixed-use project, it's a housing project that would provide uh 39 to 42 units of permanent supportive housing.

Uh, so we didn't really uh need to do MU1 or MU2.

In talking with uh planning staff.

We asked what would be the most appropriate zoning classifications because frankly, this type of building can fit in any one of a number of zoning classifications, and the response was well, whatever's gonna generate the less least amount of variances.

So with this particular project, we uh believe that we can get this done with only one variance of request, and that is for uh parking spaces.

But frankly, because we're right on the blue line and so close to downtown and other services, our parking demand uh for this project is not significant.

Uh, for those of you who are not familiar with the site, it's just a little bit more than a mile east of where we are today on East Washington Street, right next to kind of the beautiful new building that Damien Center built at Oriental in Washington.

This particular parcel, which is partially improved, uh is located closer to Arsenal.

There's a coffee shop at the corner of Arsenal in Washington.

So you can see that kind of flagged in tab one on the aerial.

Tab two is just a zoning map which shows kind of the MU1 and MU2 zoning classifications for the site.

There's a variety of commercial, even industrial, mixed use, and residential, all in the area, which you might expect.

It's highly urbanized and lots of uh variety of uh different uses uh along this part of the corridor.

Now, the interesting thing for you guys as decision makers to know is that what we're proposing is really right down uh the middle of the plate as far as the comprehensive plan is concerned and the TOD plan, which does want to drive uh higher density type housing, even though we have 39 to 42 units, we're only on four-tenths of an acre, so this is kind of the uh development that uh both the TOD and the existing comprehensive plan for urban mixed use calls for, and we're very grateful to have staff support.

If you turn to tab three and four, you can kind of see our site plan that we filed, which shows uh an urban setting with the building pulled up to the uh close to the building uh line and sidewalk line, uh as well as the parking in the back.

So that is going to be uh the emphasis will be on building and not parking.

Uh the plan admittedly is not fully developed, much uh like the last plan uh presented was because this is kind of an evolving project.

Now the built-in protection that you have as far as the commission is concerned with regards to our plans.

If you turn to tab five, uh staff was gracious enough to allow us to commit to submitting final site plan and building elevations to it for administrators' approval before we get any permit.

Uh ILP, I should say, uh, for the project, and then the second commitment uh which you can find in tab five relates to the fact that because it's such a tight environment with sidewalk and building pulled right up to Washington Street, plushington street undergoing significant uh changes as the transit stations are being implemented, utility relocation, the whole host of things.

We have agreed to work with DPW on creating a pedestrian safety plan that would be implemented throughout the period of construction along East Washington Street in that area.

For those of you who are not familiar with the kind of the existing conditions on this section of Washington Street, uh tab six has a number of uh street photos beginning with the building uh in question, as well as the lot that would be developed as part of this project.

But what I really want to turn to you, your attention to is a second uh photo in tab six, and that's the newly completed Damien Center building.

You can see the high quality uh materials, the beautiful architecture, and that's really what you're gonna be able to expect with this project.

This is a campus uh that Damien Center has created.

This will help uh fill that out a little bit, and we're very grateful to have engagement with Holy Cross neighborhood.

Councillor Brown did email me and said he was supportive of the project.

He wanted to hear from Holy Cross, and I know that that Alan Witchy had met with them and doesn't we don't have a letter from Holy Cross, but he assures me that we do have their support.

Uh there was another email that I think was sent to staff that is in the file.

So as you notice, we don't have any remonstrators.

We believe we have pretty comprehensive support, including that uh from your staff.

Happy to answer any questions you may have.

Thank you.

Questions for the petitioner.

As a uh general contractor been selected.

Uh yes.

Well, have you signed uh not the contractor?

We just have the developer.

The new developer.

Please come to the podium, sir.

Uh please introduce yourself and your address.

Um my name is Alan Witchy, President CEO Damien Center.

My home address is six eight zero four Cricklewood.

Thanks, Alan.

You were duly sworn.

Uh yes.

Thank you.

Go ahead.

Um, we have not selected a general contractor yet.

We do have a developing uh partner, a developer partner, and we have an architect.

Thank you.

Just one simple question, President Dillon.

So the current building that stands is not to be demolished.

It is to be demolished.

It is to be demolished.

Yes.

Okay.

That was it.

Thank you.

Yep, thank you so much.

Hold on a second, Council.

Final questions for the uh petitioner, everybody good staff.

Thank you, President Dillon.

Members of the Commission staff is supporting this, and again, I'm bringing in the comprehensive plan recommendation of village mixed use.

The other plan that falls in here is the TOD strategic plan.

And staff believes that this project is uh compliant and aligns with both of those plans.

And getting back to the comprehensive plan, as you know, and uh Commissioner Lyle has brought up, there's the pattern book and on page 49 of the staff report, it talks about those development standards that are recommended, their guidelines and recommendations for development.

In addition to that, on page 50, there are also some additional development stands that are included in the TOD plan for this for this um area of the of the um overlay.

And again, the staff believes this is uh appropriate for this, and I'll make my comments very brief.

And if you have any questions, questions for staff, Commissioner Robinson.

Um, and you still want the commitments that you have here on our oh yes, thank you for reminding me that.

Yes, staff is recommending approval subject to those two commitments.

So thank you.

Other questions from members of the commission?

Thank you, Commissioner Robinson for pointing that out.

Councilor rebuttal, no rebuttal, President Dillon.

Just for the commission's benefit.

Uh Damian Center has already signed uh the commitments and tendered them, so we're good to go on that front.

We're appreciative of the time today and your consideration.

Thank you.

And the record show there were no remonstrators.

Members of the commission, please go to your dual ballot, one for rezoning, one for the variance.

Twenty twenty six CZN eight one four, which is the rezoning petition.

There were eight ballots cast.

There were eight yes votes.

This petition has been approved.

And then for the companion variants, twenty twenty-six C VR eight one four.

Again, there were eight ballots cast.

Eight yes votes.

This petition has also been approved.

Can the president of the Damon Center come back up, please?

Your firm has a great reputation, do a great job on this project.

That neighborhood really needs it.

So we'd appreciate your extra eye on it, but thank you for everything you're doing in the community.

You guys have been great.

Thank you.

Take care, sir.

Congratulations on your approval.

Thank you.

Appreciate everyone.

All righty.

Can I get a motion to adjourn?

So move.

Everyone enjoy the Memorial Day weekend, and let's hope it doesn't rain as much as it looks like it's going to be.