I am in my tenth year of covering local Fishers news as a volunteer blogger.  Most of the time, when an important vote is coming up, I have a good idea how the public body will act.

On the evening of February 15, I had no idea how the Fishers City Council would vote on a rezone, allowing the local nonprofit HAND to construct 11 cottage-style homes, named Cumberland Cottages, near 141st Street and Cumberland Road.  The 8-1 vote for an unfavorable recommendation from the Fishers Advisory Plan Commission was not a good sign.

An even worse sign came from three sitting Fishers City Council members on the Plan Commission, all voting for the unfavorable recommendation.  Pete Peterson,
Todd Zimmerman and Selina Stoller would almost certainly not be supportive of the rezone when the matter would come up for action on the council.

However, there are nine members of the Fishers City Council.  How would the other six members view the HAND proposal to bring affordable housing for 11 Fishers families?

HAND Executive Director Andrea Davis provided a rundown on the proposal before council members Monday night and tried her best to address questions and concerns raised by the Plan Commission and neighbors.  Then the council members began discussing their views on the rezone request before them.

The three councilors on the Plan Commission, as expected, opposed the rezone, but appeared to be open to some other location for the housing project.  Councilman John Weingardt described this as a “close call” but in the end voted no.

The two Democrats on the council, Jocelyn Vare and Samantha DeLong, voiced their support.  Cecilia Coble, a long-time  advocate for the disabled in Fishers, voiced her support for the project and the work HAND has done locally.  Brad DeReamer expressed his support, citing the need for affordable housing in Fishers.

It all came down to David George.  Councilman George is the longest-serving elected member of a Fishers governing body, having served for years on the town council before Fishers became a city, and has  served on the city council ever since.

David George is an engineer by trade and I always appreciate the way engineers approach an issue.  He had a number of questions about the technical details.  He then explained how he had driven around and looked at HAND projects constructed many years ago.  He found them all well-maintained and in very good shape.

But Mr. George did not say how his vote would go.  Because the meeting was virtual, there was a roll call vote, and it was only then that we learned David George would be a yes vote and the HAND rezoning request would be approved by the narrowest of margins, 5-4.

I live in a community adjacent to the HAND project.  I realize many of my neighbors and my Homeowners Association (HOA) are not on board with the housing plan.  I would hope they would listen to David George’s comments on how well HAND maintains its properties.  Those housing projects have stood the test of time or Councilman George would not have voted in favor of this plan.

There is much yet to be done and more hurdles to climb before construction can begin.  Executive Director Davis promised to do everything possible and find the funding or other ways to upgrade the planned car ports into full garages.

As a 30-year resident of Fishers, I am proud of my city council.  There will be eleven families allowed to have a decent place to live near the place where they work in Fishers as a result of the council’s action.  I believe that is a good thing.