By Ann Craig-Cinnamon
If you’re concerned about the fate of the Northeast corner of 96th Street and Mollenkopf you might want to mark April 15 on your calendar. That’s when the Fishers Plan Commission will again consider a petition to rezone that corner for commercial use. The original petition, filed in 2012, included 9 properties, but was withdrawn following a hearing before the Town Council in which a large number of residents showed up to oppose it. Another petition was then filed with an additional two properties for a total of 11, all in the Bucks Creek Subdivision area. In their petition, the residents requesting the rezoning stated that they “now believe that the property is not well suited for residential use due to the lost frontage of our properties as well as the increased traffic volume. In addition, all of Bucks Creek is situated on well and septic systems that are starting to fail. There are drainage issues, ecoli problems as well as properties not being well maintained.” The petition goes on to say that, two national retailers are interested in developing the property if rezoned.
The Plan Commission postponed a hearing set for March 11 because of a lack of proper public notification. There is now a sign at the corner of 96th Street and Mollenkopf that directs people to a phone number to call for information about the upcoming public hearing. The Plan Commission staff filed a report for the March 11 hearing recommending that the rezoning be denied, but according to Community Development planner Adam Zaklikowski, the staff report will be revised for the meeting on the 15th. That report said, in part, “this rezone would not be in conformance with the Comprehensive Plan, does not take into account the residential character of the area, and may lower adjacent property values. Additionally, as the surrounding area is already built-out, there would not be any new subdivisions in the vicinity to warrant a need for additional commercial uses in this area. Staff is also aware of the opposition to this project and feels that a rezoning may negatively impact these property owners.
Jennifer Bennett and her husband Daniel are just two of many homeowners that would be affected by the rezoning. We will continue to fight the rezone, we are not giving up this fight”, she says. Ultimately it’s the Town Council that makes the decision as to what happens to that corner. The final decision could come by May.
