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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe Fishers Plan Commission on Wednesday voted to advance a proposal by Indianapolis-based Platinum Properties to develop a 290-home neighborhood at Southeastern Parkway and 113th Street despite concerns from nearby residents about the impact the project could have on local schools.
The Fishers City Council will now decide the fate of the proposed Grantham neighborhood after the plan commission voted 6-2-1 in favor of the development. Commission members Brad DeReamer and Anne Kelly voted against the plan and Todd Zimmerman abstained. Members William Harling and Bruce Molter were absent.
Since the project was first announced in May, Platinum Properties has reduced the total number of houses in its planned single-family neighborhood from 314 to 290. The 158-acre Grantham neighborhood proposal features both a gated section for estate homes and two sections for young professionals or empty nesters.
Neighbors who spoke during Wednesday’s meeting said they’re worried the project will create an undue burden on the area’s streets and schools.
“We need to pause, step back, check on our growth a little bit and see if we’re really ready to sustain that growth,” said Catherine VanHorn, a neighboring resident.
DeReamer said he shared neighbors’ concerns about school overcrowding, especially since nearby Southeastern Elementary School already needs an overflow trailer within one year of opening.
Wednesday’s discussion also touched on the number of subdivisions already approved for the area that stand unfinished.
The plan commission has approved 3,129 lots within two miles of the petitioner’s target site in the past four years, DeReamer said. He ultimately voted against the project and questioned whether local schools could handle the potential 6,000 additional students those homes might bring.
Steve Hardin, a Faegre Drinker attorney representing Platinum Properties, said developers have continually heard concerns about impacts to the school district as the city’s residential areas started moving east. However, he said, the district found enrollment is actually flattening out.
Tony Bagato, Fishers’ planning director, said it’s likely those schools will be redistricted long before Grantham’s 290 homes are completed.
Commission member Pete Peterson said he voted in favor of the project because Platinum Properties—or the next developer to come along—could build 261 homes there without council approval. He said he’d rather send a favorable recommendation to the city council for its September meeting based on the petitioner’s voluntary tree-preservation plans, trail connections and other features.
“I’m trying to drive the best development I possibly can because it’s not going to stop,” Peterson said.
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Great news!!! More houses mean more people who want pizza and no one delivers the pizza like Scotty McFadness.
Keep bringing the pizza, Scotty!!!!!!
I always find the not in my back yard people to be something else. These people live in homes that were built on farm land and I’m sure someone complained about them as well. Now more people want to do EXACTLY what they did when they built their houses and now it’s a problem.
I completely agree. However, what would be helpful to existing residents in that growing area, is for the City of Fishers to make the necessary road improvements before all of the new homes are built. I have lived in Fishers for 14 yrs. and only now is 96th Street, east of Lantern Road, finally being improved to keep up with the homes that were built 15+ yrs. ago. The same can be said of several other road projects that were finally completed in the past couple of years… plan ahead and save lots of people the exhausting trouble of waiting way too long for traffic improvements.
The problem isn’t the additional homes. The problem is the general lack of central planning of how to support them. The new school JUST opened last year. It is now at max and many kids are in portable trailers. Really?!! We moved here specifically to go to Giest Elementary, then were redistricted and forced rip our kid out but with the promise of this amazing new school. And now that school is over capacity a year after it opened.
So when they project another 6000 children for this new development and other already approved developments, you can understand why homeowners are upset. Before any additional developments are approved they should have a plan that they can show current residents that are already paying property taxes how they will support them with the services they were promised.