FORTVILLE – A second reading for a rezone of 38 acres for a planned unit development (PUD) passed at the town council meeting Monday night.
The rezoned area consists of 38 acres just south of Madison Street and east of Park Street and would allow for a multi-family market rate apartment complex plus light industrial buildings. The apartment complex would have 225 units in seven three-story buildings; however, the PUD allows for fewer buildings but the same number of units.
For the industrial side, there would be two buildings, one being about 85,000 square-feet and the second one about 156,000 square-feet. EmPower, an electrical company, is looking to relocate its headquarters from the Indianapolis area to one of the two buildings.
Since the first meeting, the petitioner had provided updated images of recent work that displayed their architecture designs, such as complexes located in Carmel, Noblesville and Fishers.
Adam Zaklikowski, building and planning director for Fortville, shared that at the most recent plan commission meeting, the board did pass a 4-1 favorable recommendation for the PUD with some conditions. Those conditions included updated images of past work, a maximum of 5% EIFS – a material used on buildings – and having a traffic study done to address concerns that were raised about the future added traffic.
Vanessa Battaglia, town council member, brought up for discussion that a Fortville resident with a relevant skill set had posted an alternative site plan on Facebook and wanted to bring it to the attention of the council to ensure that public input and comments on topics like this are being looked at.
“We’re trying to create an opportunity to let people be heard,” Battaglia said.
Despite having the alternative plan brought to attention at the town council meeting, Alex Intermill, town attorney, said that when following Indiana law and procedures, the time to present the plan would have been at the plan commission’s public hearing. Intermill also said that if the town council was unsatisfied with the plan that was listed in the PUD, they then would deny the favorable recommendation from the plan commission and would have to go through the process again.
Ryan Thomas, senior vice president of development and construction services at Lauth, said that from a petitioner standpoint, they were indifferent on specifics of the layout, having had five different designs beforehand.
The alternative plan brought up mostly dealt with the complex aspect of the project, presenting a different layout for the parking lots. Intermill said that with the PUD, the petitioner would have to adhere to the approved site plans and if there were any substantially different changes. The alternatives would then have to go by the plan commission for approval. Smaller changes would be approved by Zaklikowski.
Tonya Davis, town council president, said that she cared more about the looks of the apartment complex, adding to the residential and community feel that Fortville already has. Davis also said that she knows in the process of developing, ideas and plans may change.
“But the PUD allows us that opportunity to control that and to help you — helps give you what the town wants,” Davis said. “…that’s all this is doing, is allowing us to have that control.”
After further in-depth discussion about the PUD, a motion passed to accept the PUD for the rezone of the 38 acres.
During the public comment section of the meeting, one resident spoke on the conversation held Monday night and said he appreciated the extra discussion on the PUD and the alternative plan posted to Facebook.
“Because we don’t know – I’ve not looked at those plans. I was okay with Adam and everybody else approving. I was fine with that,” the Fortville resident said. “Then we know there was a separate plan, it should have been presented a long time ago but that’s just my thoughts.”
