A proposed subdivision along Howe Road, just north of 131st Street, asked for a waiver of city cul-de sac standards, and the request was denied by the Fishers Plan Commission. Long-time residents in that area have been fighting the proposal since it first appeared on the commission agenda.  The request was continued at the January meeting after a lengthy discussion.  The item was continued again and not considered at the February plan commission session.

The Long Grove proposal was to construct homes on 20 lots over 12 acres on the east side of Howe Road, about 1/3 of a mile north of 131st Street.

The commission vote to deny the waiver was unanimous.

Starbucks fans on the east end of Fishers are a step closer to a new coffee shop in the southwest area of 116th Street and Olio Road, near the Walgreen Drug Store.  The Fishers Plan Commission voted unanimously Tuesday night for a favorable recommendation on the plan.

The issue will now go to the Fishers City Council for final approval.

The plan commission added some technical language to the proposal, mostly dealing with use rules for other properties in that commercial complex.

You would think that a program about depression and anxiety disorders would leave you with a down feeling.  I did not experience that Monday night after attending the session on mental health awareness at Fishers High School.

Don’t get me wrong.  This is a tough issue.  Mental health continues to have an unfair stigma attached to it.  People are still hurt and and sometimes die when struggling with these diseases.

But the Peyton Riekoff Foundation for Youth Hope provided lessons on how to help those suffering from mental health diseases, such as depression.  Mike Riekoff spoke to the crowd, saying depression was responsible for taking the life of his daughter Peyton.

Riekoff talked about “immediate detentions” in Fishers, where police must detain individuals because those persons are deemed a threat to themselves and/or others around them.  Since 2012, there have been 808 such detentions in Fishers.  There were 212 in 2015 alone.  In 2016, a little over 2 months old, Fishers Police have carried out 34 immediate detentions.

The message from this program was clear…..get help.  Go to your family, and if that doesn’t work, reach out to a doctor or counselor at school, or maybe even the parent of a close friend.  The bottom line message is – there is help.

Students are encouraged to watch their friends and tell others if there are signs of depression or anxiety disorder.  These are illnesses, not character flaws.

The foundation has a list of resources you can access at this link.

It is estimated 20% of our young people in Fishers suffer from depression.  The important message to tell those suffering is – you are not alone – you can get help.

There is hope.

As I drove into the parking lot of the new Launch Fishers building, I could see the structure was still under construction.  There were work crews everywhere, inside and outside the building.  The large auditorium was off limits to visitors as a construction site.

That didn’t deter Launch Fishers founder John Wechsler from inviting reporters in to take a look at the impressive facility.  I was the first journalist to arrive, and John was busy installing infrastructure.

He did take time out to give me a brief tour of some of the new Launch building.  Below is the video of the live Periscope broadcast during the afternoon of March 7th.

When you write a local news blog like mine, sometimes a story takes off when you least expect it.  In my case, it was an underestimation on my part about the popularity of Starbucks coffee shops.

I’ll admit, I have enjoyed a coffee or two there, but I am not a regular Starbucks customer.

Apparently, the area around 116th Street and Olio Road is more than ready for a new Starbucks store.

The Fishers City Council heard a first reading summary of a proposed new Starbucks close to the Walgreen’s store, near that busy intersection.  It only takes one council vote to send the proposal to the Fishers Plan Commission, where it is vetted by the staff, the subject of a public hearing where anyone is allowed to speak for or against the idea, then the commission votes.  I wrote a brief piece on this blog about it February 15th.

The staff report recommends Plan Commission members approve a favorable recommendation for the proposed Starbucks near 116th Street & Olio Road, but does mention in the report that the drive-up window needs to be looked at…staff calls for further study to “review the ability for cars to stack safely on-site, during the construction plan review process….”  The commission would then put the matter back into the hands of the Fishers City Council.

The Fishers Plan Commission is a totally advisory body, but City Council members have historically relied a great deal on that advice.

Based on the amount of readers on the story I posted February 15th, there is a lot of interest about this plan.  Many are in favor, others question whether that location will work in tandem with the other stores in that area.

If you have any thoughts on the matter, the Plan Commission Meets Tuesday, March 8th, 6:30pm, at Fishers City Hall.

If you want to find my podcasts, you can now get them all on the iTunes app.

Just go to the app, type “Podcasts by Larry Lannan” in the search box, and you will find them all listed there.

My podcasts are getting out to a good start.  In the first month, I’ve had over 580 accesses.  My thanks to all of my listeners.  I will do my best to present programs you will find interesting.

Fishers Projekt: Opera put together a creative version of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” last year, by cutting it down to about 90 minutes and performing part opera in English.

Now, the production company is taking on another challenge, with two performances of Puccini’s “La Boheme.”  Performances are set for March 19th, 7pm and March 20th at 4:00pm.  Both productions will be at the Ji-Eun Lee Music Academy, near 126th Street and Cumberland Road.

You can buy tickets at this link.

The biggest news from the City of Fishers on construction projects deals with upcoming work, not the projects of the coming week.

96th Street and Cumberland Road will be closed for 100 days, beginning March 21st.  This will allow for the construction of a roundabout at that location.  Those of you using that intersection regularly, particularly during rush hour traffic, should begin planning alternate routes.

Also, Duke Energy will be doing maintenance work throughout the city dealing with vegetation growing around its equipment.  The Drive Fishers Web page will be updated regularly about these projects.

Look out for restrictions in the coming week around 116th Street and Commercial Drive, around Lantern Road, near downtown.

Below is the listing provided by the city for the week of March 7th.

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DUKE ENERGY VEGETATION MAINTENANCE

Duke Energy will be preforming vegetation management as part of its power line maintenance program in the coming weeks. Additional details about this project and specific maintenance locations are available on the Drive Fishers website under current projects.

FALL CREEK TRAIL

Fall Creek Trail reconstruction work continues; the pedestrian bridges and section of sidewalk along the trail have been removed. Pedestrians should not use the trail within the sections that have been removed. In addition, there will be periodic lane closures along the project throughout the week of March 7.

LANTERN ROAD

Lantern Road between 116^th Street and Commercial Drive will be restricted the week of March 7. Please use caution and pay close attention to signage displayed in the area.

96^TH STREET AND CUMBERLAND ROAD

Beginning on or after March 21, the Hamilton County Highway Department will close 96^th Street and Cumberland Road for 100 calendar days in order to construct a roundabout at this intersection.  If anyone has concerns on this project they can call 773-7770. Click here to view a detour map.