The Carmel City Council unanimously approved an ordinance during a special meeting Oct. 24 that rezones 260 acres and sets development standards for the westward expansion of Conner Prairie.
The living history museum owns more than 1,000 acres that straddle the White River south of 146th Street but has only developed land in Fishers. The Carmel expansion on land south of 146th Street and east of River Road is set to include food and farm exhibits, a White River Education & Ecology Center, office building, boutique hotel, cabins and more.
At the meeting, the council voted 9-0 to approve a planned unit development ordinance that sets development guidelines specific to the site. Changes approved in the final version of the ordinance include:
- Limiting the office building to 55,000 square feet
- Limiting the amount of space for general retail sales to no more than 15,000 square feet
- Limiting special events to 36 days per calendar year
- Requiring approval from the city’s Board of Public Works for expanded parking for special events
- Limiting the height of a windmill to 36 feet
“I feel we’ve made good progress, and I anticipate a good partnership (with Conner Prairie) moving forward,” said councilor Sue Finkam, whose district includes Conner Prairie’s land.
Conner Prairie filed its PUD for the Carmel expansion with the city in August 2022. The Carmel Plan Commission made several changes to the initial plan before giving it unanimous approval in July, and the city council has held several meetings to discuss and revise the plan.
“(The process) wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t smooth, but frankly it shouldn’t be,” City Council President Jeff Worrell said.
Conner Prairie officials previously said the project could take 20 years to reach completion. A construction start date has not been announced.
