A lengthy discussion about a proposed expansion of an apartment complex near 141st Street and State Road 37 at December’s Fishers City Council meeting may provide a glimpse into how the council will evaluate such future plans in the city.  The council voted to delay a vote on the rezoning, and the property owners have now advised the Fishers Plan Commission the rezone request has been officially withdrawn.

At the December council session,  three council members (DeReamer, Peterson & Block) voiced support for the additional apartments east of the current Woods of Britton.  Four council members voiced opposition (Zimmerman, Coble, Stoller & Moeller).  Two (George & Weingardt) did not express an opinion.

Steve Hardin, the attorney representing Phil Lambert, the President of Regency Windsor Management and owners of Woods of Britton, saw a possible vote that would not allow the project to go forward, so he requested a continuance at the December session which the council unanimously approved.

Now, Mr Lambert has sent an e-mail to Tony Bagato, Director of Planning and Zoning for the City of Fishers, saying “we have chosen to go ahead and withdraw our
proposal to construct apartments ¡n the Fishers Marketplace.” The Plan Commission will have the withdrawal letter before it at Wednesday evening’s meeting.

This gives a hint as to how council members view multi-family housing, and apartments come under that umbrella.  How will the council members evaluate future apartment plans in the city?

Several council members opposed the Woods of Britton expansion because they want that location available for commercial development once the State Road 37 reconstruction is complete.  However, the council members favoring the project point to struggles experienced by the commercial operations just south of Woods of Britton in the Fishers Marketplace.

The city is pursuing a low-income apartment project to be developed along Lantern Road south of downtown, and most council members appear to be in favor of pursuing that.

So, it will be interesting to see if any other developers will propose market-rate apartments in Fishers and, if so, how the city council members evaluate any proposal to provide the zoning needed.