City of Noblesville introduces road impact fee, benefit, development ordinances

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By Sadie Hunter

The Noblesville Common Council met for a regular meeting Feb. 24. Councilors Brian Ayer and Rick Taylor were absent. The council’s next meeting will be held 7 p.m. March 15 in the City Hall Council Chambers, 16 S. 10th St. For more, or to see an agenda, visit www.cityofnoblesville.org.

What happened: The council discussed an ordinance that would appeal an old ordinance and establish terms for city park and golf facilities.

Bennett
Bennett

Why it matters: Currently, rental of park facilities and green fees for city-owned golf courses (Fox Prairie and Forest Park) are available at no cost to city staff. This ordinance would change the terms of these benefits to prohibit staff from using park areas and facilities and tee times during peak hours.

For park rentals, employees would not be able to use the facilities Saturdays and Sundays during the peak season of rental, May through August, if the ordinance is passed – although the space will still be available to them for a discounted price. For golf, staff would not be able to play before 4:30 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, but would also be available at a discounted price.

Parks Director Brandon Bennett said last year, approximately $30,000 worth of golf was played in 2015 by city staff and that if this ordinance was in effect last year, anywhere from $6,000 to $15,000 could have been made with the discounted employee rate. “It’s still playing free golf, just not during the prime time,” he said.

 

Beery
Beery

What happened: City Engineer John Beery introduced an ordinance adopting road impact fees to the council.

Why it matters: The city’s engineering department works to calculate projections of road traffic the city expects to see over the next five years. This new ordinance establishes one rate – averaged from the current four separate areas that gather a different rate of road impact fees. Beery said the change is to eliminate some of the confusion and that street projects that have been completed since the passing of the last road impact fee ordinance have altered the way the ordinance for road impact fees has previously been implemented.

 

Reed
Reed

What happened: Planning Director Sarah Reed introduced an ordinance for the adoption of the preliminary development plan for the Embassy Suites, conference center and outlots project on the southwester corner of Tegler Drive and Olio Road.

Why it matters: Forwarded with a favorable recommendation from the Noblesville Plan Commission, the common council will vote on the ordinance at a future meeting. For more on this development, visit youarecurrent.com.

 

What happened: The council approved on first reading an ordinance for a change of zoning for the property at 185 S. Eighth St. in downtown Noblesville.

Why it matters: This rezoning changes the property’s current zoning of R5 Multi-family to DT Downtown. Petitioner Beth Wood plans to create on the property a small event and meeting space for a variety of uses, to be called Kaleidoscope Korner.

 

What happened: The council approved a resolution to establish an economic revitalization area for the future home of BlueSky Technology Partners, an e-commerce company.

Why it matters: The economic revitalization area will help the city create a 10-year, 100 percent tax abatement for the company’s move to the Federal Hill District, west of the intersection of John and Osborn Streets. Currently headquartered at 15570 Stony Creek Way in Noblesville, the company is working with the city for an incentives package where the city will give $2.5 million for site work to the company in exchange for spurring development west of White River and near the future Federal Hill Commons. City attorney Mike Howard said the company would have 75 employees in Noblesville within three years with an average wage of $92,000 annually.  BlueSky COO and President Eric Warne said the company has been hiring 10 to 15 employees on average each year since moving to Noblesville five years ago and the building downtown is a $7 million investment for the company.


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