In the last issue I expressed my opinion about the interaction between the BRVA and the rezoning process when petitioners come before the City of Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development (DMD). In summary, that editorial stated that since the BRVA is not a governing body in that process, that they should consider themselves similar to an individual remonstrator. The BRVA should make the remonstrate or not decision based on BRVA Land Use Committee expertise and input from BRVA members and not delay the DMD process to allow time for a second (and somewhat redundant)neighborhood notice process. Non-BRVA member residents should focus their activities on convincing the DMD that a petition should be rejected by remonstrating at the downtown hearing.

In this issue my focus is on liquor license requests and business violations. Once again, the BRVA land use committee should make the decision to support or oppose a new liquor license based on the expertise of the committee and BRVA membership. If a new restaurant can show that they intend to operate in a business-like manner and will not be a busy club/bar, they should be allowed to proceed. If once the restaurant opens, it turns out that the owners misrepresented themselves before the BRVA committee, then actions should be taken.

At a recent BRVA land use public meeting, several issues were raised by attendees about possible problems that could arise from allowing new restaurants to open that serve liquor. There were also concerns about the BRVA supporting a business that might not have the proper permits or who might create public disturbances. It is not a requirement of the BRVA to predict or second-guess developers in these matters. Those matters can and should be handled as City of Indianapolis code violations. Either the residents or the BRVA should report such violations to the city and if there is no response to those reports (as was stated in the recent meeting) then appropriate actions should be taken to find out why the City is not handling code enforcement in a timely manner.

If you want to play a part in the world of the, often exciting, development activity in the Village, I encourage you to become a member of the BRVA and attend the Land Use Committee meetings held on the 4th Tuesday of each month at Broad Ripple United Methodist Church at 6pm. The next meeting is Tuesday, January 25, 2011.