Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce

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Marion County Comprehensive Plan
 

The City of Indianapolis’ Comprehensive Plan for community development should be updated with a county-wide approach, including issues which affect consolidated cities, increased allowance for mixed-use development, and recognition of development which crosses county lines and the municipal coordination necessary to sustain it.

Indianapolis is developing a Comprehensive Plan that will serve as a guide to shape the city's growth and development for the next ten years. The Comprehensive Plan includes all of Indianapolis and Marion County. In order for the plan to be successful for Indianapolis and the central Indiana region, members of the business community must play a vital role in shaping the plan as it is being developed. Input from business leaders will be essential to issues such as zoning, land use, and attraction of businesses to the city.

The plan is divided into two components. The first component is the Community Values component. This is the portion of the plan which will be used to guide decision makers on development and planning projects. It sets forth the values, goals and policies that will serve as a guide and be useful to business leaders, the community, policy makers and planners for future city development.

The second component is land use recommendations or land use mapping. State statute requires mapping as a basis for zoning. Mapping helps city planners and decision makers when they review projects and it is used when considering rezoning projects. In the past deviations from the plan and land use mapping have caused great frustration. Since the plan is countywide, a more comprehensive plan will be developed and there will be less deviation from the recommendations as there have been in past when the plan was conducted on a township-by-township basis.

How should the city grow in the next decade? How should Indianapolis best use its resources? How do we progress regionally? What economic development initiatives are needed over the next decade? What should be done to the tax base to ensure a prosperous future for the City of Indianapolis? Citizens and business leaders are advising the city to establish goals and objectives, as well as develop recommendations for future policies and programs. Recommendations from eight committees, established by the city of Indianapolis, were forwarded to a steering committee for approval. The eight committees were:

Cultural, social and education: values, civility, community assets, education

Economic development: economic needs of its citizens, adequate tax base, and commercial and industrial expansion

Environment, parks and open space: current and future development of Indianapolis and the environment

Land use standards and procedures: zoning, ordinances, rules of procedure (The committee will not make specific land use recommendations; it will establish the methods and standards to be used in developing future land use recommendations.)

Neighborhoods and housing: land use patterns, preserving and redeveloping commercial and residential areas

Redevelopment: redevelopment, activities to attract new businesses and encourage existing businesses to remain, increase employment opportunities, protect and increase the tax base, encourage overall economic growth

Regionalism: regional planning issues such as coordination and cooperation, land use along jurisdiction boundaries, overall urban growth

Transportation and infrastructure: planned and current transportation and infrastructure initiatives, likely effects on future development

More information is available at the City of Indianapolis' Department of Metropolitan Development Web site.

Key issues regarding the plan:

  • The chamber has advocated countywide planning for years. Currently, the City of Indianapolis has conducted the Comprehensive Plan on a countywide basis and the Chamber supports this effort. However, efforts have been made to conduct the mapping component of the plan on a township-by-township basis. In an effort to ensure that the mapping component of the Comprehensive Plan be conducted on a countywide basis, the Chamber testified before the Metropolitan Development Committee (city-county councilors) and the Metropolitan Development Commission (a commission of appointments made by the Mayor and council) in support of the effort.
  • On Feb 20th the Metropolitan Development Commission will vote on the Community Values portion of the plan.

What the Greater Indianapolis Chamber is doing:

  • The Chamber is a member of the Mayor’s "Steering Committee," which works closely with the city to guide the process of the Comprehensive Plan. The Chamber nominated forty members to participate on the subcommittees. Chamber members serve on each committee to give input into all topics (for more information, e-mail Cherrish Pryor). The Chamber communicates with the city’s Department of Metropolitan Development Division of Planning on a regular basis regarding the plan.
  • The chamber testified before the Metropolitan Development Commission and the Metropolitan Development Committee in support of the City's effort to maintain the Comprehensive Plan mapping phase, countywide and not township-by-township focus.

What YOU can do:

  • Which of the topics interest you regarding the future growth of Indianapolis? Attend the subcommittee meetings and give your input to committee members (for more information, go to the Department of Metropolitan Development Web site).
  • Call your local neighborhood association and tell them that the City of Indianapolis should take a county-wide approach to zoning.

Related Links

  • Get up-to-date information on meetings and comprehensive plan issues from the City's Web site.

 

Heard enough? Send an e-mail to your elected officials through Capitol Wiz.

Want more?  Learn about other issues dealing with Economic Development.

 

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