Plans for a new neighborhood on 14 acres south of 146th Street west of Gray Road have changed significantly since initially being presented to the Carmel Plan Commission in May 2023.
At its Feb. 19 meeting, the Carmel City Council introduced an ordinance that would rezone the site from R-1 Residential to a planned unit development, which codifies development standards specific to the site. Known as the Andrews PUD, the development is proposed to include 30 single-family, for-sale homes built by Pulte that are expected to cost between $700,000 and $750,000. The neighborhood would also include a dog park and community garden on the north end of the site.
The original concept by Michigan-based Schafer Development proposed 46 townhomes and 14 duplexes, with both housing types starting at approximately $500,000. The project transformed as nearby residents, city planners and plan commissioners provided feedback, with the commission unanimously giving the Andrews PUD a favorable recommendation in January.
“This was introduced when I was first on the plan commission, and I remember when it first came through, it looked nothing like this,” City Councilor Adam Aasen said. “Since the time I’ve been on council and then the five years prior to that when I was writing about the council as a reporter, I don’t think I’ve seen a project change as much from the initial (proposal).”
City Councilor Shannon Minnaar, the council appointee to the plan commission, commended multiple groups for working together to refine the concept.
“Since this is my first project on the plan commission, it was really interesting to watch how the neighbors and the petitioner worked together,” she said. “I want to applaud the neighbors and the petitioner for working so hard together and coming to some agreements. That is not always the case.”
During a public hearing held at the council meeting, Gray Oaks resident Jayne Gates said the PUD is “tremendously better” than originally proposed, but she is still concerned about the potential impact of increased traffic driving through her neighborhood to access the new subdivision.
She also said that several standards proposed in the PUD deviate significantly from what is permitted in the existing R-1 zoning, such as the proposed 60 percent maximum lot coverage (R-1 allows 35 percent) and 22-foot minimum front yard setback (R-1 allows 35 feet).
“In very few ways does this actually meet the physical requirements of R-1 zoning,” Gates said. “We can feel good about how this has come about and where it is now, but it’s not really R-1 zoning.”
The council’s Land Use and Special Studies Committee is set to review the PUD at a meeting set for 7 p.m. Feb. 21 in the caucus room at City Hall.
