The Heart and Soul Church proposal for a community campus on East 126th Street will go to the Fishers City Council without a recommendation after the Fishers Plan Commission came up one vote short Wednesday night.
The commission voted 5-2 to send the plan forward with a favorable recommendation. Passing a recommendation takes six votes from the 11-member commission, no matter how many members attend. Seven members were present, one remotely.
Commission President Howard Stevenson and City Councilor Tiffany Ditlevson voted no. Ditlevson will also have a vote when the measure reaches the council.
The church wants to rezone 18.66 acres at 11616 E. 126th St. from the Lake Meadows PUD and R5 Residential to a new Heart and Soul Community Campus planned unit development. The rezone would allow a place of worship, outdoor recreation and small-scale commercial uses.
Eleven people spoke during the public hearing. Four supported the plan and seven opposed it. A petition from residents of the Whispering Woods neighborhood was also part of the meeting materials.
The petitioner’s team told the commission that the concept plan shows the most that could ever be built on the site. Any later changes could reduce the project but not expand it. They said traffic studies come later, during review by the city’s Technical Advisory Committee. They also said city engineers, not the church, control traffic patterns on 126th Street.
The team also corrected an earlier staffing estimate. The church had originally projected 75 to 90 employees on site. The revised estimate is 15 to 20 for church operations and perhaps 20 more at times in the retail area, depending on which businesses move in.
City staff raised concerns about who would own the retail portion of the campus and asked whether the church could own retail property and keep its 501(c)(3) status. Church representatives said the retail operations are part of the church’s mission. Staff is asking the council to add a commitment that the church will own and maintain those buildings.
Traffic safety on 126th Street was a recurring concern, including a fatal crash in 2021 that came up during public comment. Staff said the city engineering department has looked at traffic signals near the two major intersections in the area, but a signal is not planned at this site. Other measures, such as right-in, right-out access, could be considered. Staff said the city’s engineering director will answer outstanding traffic questions before the council meeting.
Commission member and City Councilor Pete Peterson said the city cannot take away property owners’ rights, but it can steer projects to fit the community. He urged that the retail buildings be designed to look residential. He also said lighting from the planned pickleball courts and noise must be addressed, along with fire and police access to the site. He called the project a positive one for the community.
The City Council will takes up the rezone October 12.