Zoning issues at BRVA July meeting
by Alan Hague
posted: Aug. 04, 2022
There were around 40 in attendance at the July 26, 2022, public meeting of the Broad Ripple Village Association [BRVA] Land Use and Development committee that was held in the basement of Northminster Presbyterian Church, 1660 Kessler Boulevard.
There were three items on the agenda, in bold below.
6520 Ferguson Street (Merchants Property Insurance Company) - Jim and Sara Lootens, owners of 6520 Ferguson Street, will be returning for a follow up presentation on their request to rezone the subject property from D-4 to C-1. Hearing Date: TBD
This proposal was presented at the June meeting. It is to rezone the house at 6520 Ferguson Street [C4 on
map] to C-1 to allow for an office use. The petitioners received the list of possible C-1 uses that the BRVA requested to be excluded from the proposal. The petitioners agreed to the list of exclusions. The committee voted to support this petition.
1060 Broad Ripple Ave (Reagan Outdoor Advertising) - Jon Campbell, representing Reagan Outdoor Advertising, will be returning for a follow up presentation on the petition filed for the following: Variance of use and development standards of the Consolidated Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance to provide for 40-foot tall, 672-square foot digital off-premise advertising sign (digital off-premise sign not permitted), within 16 feet of a protected district (300-foot separation required for off-premise signs, 600-foot separation required for digital sign), within 615 feet of another off-premise advertising sign (1,000 radial separation required) and to allow for digital messages to display for minimum of eight seconds (minimum of ten second display permitted). Case #: 2022-UV1-016, Hearing Date: August 2nd, 2022
This request to convert the existing billboard north of the Broad Ripple Avenue / Compton Street intersection [G7 on
map] to a digital billboard was presented at the June meeting. The petitioner returned with a light study that shows the range of visibility of the proposed sign.
Petitioner's billboard light output diagram
The committee expressed several concerns about the safety of a lighted sign that changes every 8 seconds in the vicinity of the Monon Trail crossing. Several from the audience also spoke in opposition. The committee voted to not support this request.
6407-6419 Ferguson Street - Misha Rabinowitch, representing G.P. Developers LLC, will be appearing with a presentation on the petition filed for a variance of development standards of the Consolidated Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance to provide for an office building with 68 parking spaces (103 parking spaces required). Case #: 2022-DV1-039, Hearing Date: August 2nd, 2022 Change: the hearing was moved to September.
The location of this project was approved for a four story building back in 2020. It is the space currently occupied by what was Bead Angels / White Orchid Salon on the north to Urban Gypsy on the south.
Petitioner's rendering of the new building design
Petitioner's building layout diagram
According to the petitioner, since the previous approval, demand for this type of office space has increased and a 5th floor has been added to the project. The petitioner stated that although the project does not provide for the number of parking spots required by the zoning ordinance, each of the long-term tenants of the building have agreed that there are enough parking spots for the use.
The committee voted to support this project.
The next public meeting of the committee is scheduled for Tuesday, August 23, 2022, at 6pm, at Northminster Presbyterian Church.
alan@broadripplegazette.com