The Fishers Plan Commission voted unanimously Wednesday night to send an unfavorable recommendation to the City Council on One Sixteen, a proposed 26-home development along East 116th Street.
Integra Builders is seeking to rezone 10.45 acres at 10401 E. 116th St. from the Legends at Geist planned unit development to a new planned unit development for the neighborhood.
Commission member and City Councilor Pete Peterson said he opposed the proposal for several reasons, particularly the brownstone design of the homes closest to 116th Street. Peterson said that style would fit well in downtown Fishers but would not fit well in the proposed location.
Several speakers opposed the proposal during the public hearing, most from neighboring communities.
The development’s concept plan calls for four narrow homes facing 116th Street with garage access from a private alley, along with 22 other single-family homes. Plans also include open space along 116th Street, a central stormwater detention area and perimeter landscaping buffers.
The commission’s recommendation differed from that of city planning staff, which supported the rezoning. According to the staff report, the proposal meets the suburban residential designation in the Fishers 2040 comprehensive plan, which calls for two to four homes per acre.
The report includes illustrative architectural images but says the proposed ordinance does not establish approved architectural designs.
At an August neighborhood meeting attended by dozens of nearby residents, concerns included traffic, preservation of mature trees, housing density and drainage, according to the report.
Written comments submitted before Wednesday’s hearing also raised questions about privacy, compatibility with surrounding neighborhoods and potential effects on property values. One resident supported the rezoning contingent on preserving the existing tree line between the development and homes along Spyglass Ridge Drive.
The unfavorable recommendation sends the rezoning request to the City Council for consideration. The staff report anticipates a final reading Nov. 16.