The Merrillville Plan Commission provided “clean slates” for two proposed developments — a community center on the former Y&W Drive-In property on Broadway and a new apartment complex in the Broadfield subdivision.
The commission on Feb. 19 vacated the previous subdivision plat for the former Y&W land and created a new one, which Town Attorney Joseph Svetanoff said would then allow the town to redevelop the property for a community center.
“This is the first of many, many steps,” Commission president and Councilman Shawn Pettit, D-6th, said.
In the second matter, the commission vacated a former planned unit development for the Broadfield subdivision off 93rd Avenue. This paved the way for a new proposal to build 275 studio and one-bedroom apartment units geared toward young medical professionals working in nearby hospitals and other health-related facilities.
Pinnacle Hospital is located across 93rd Avenue from Broadfield and Methodist Hospitals Southlake Campus is nearby.
The new proposal is a reduction of the 458 apartment units previously approved but never built.
While the town has a moratorium on new multifamily units, planning director Bill Laird said a planned unit development that included multi-family units had been created for Broadfield several years ago. While the PUD was never acted on by the Town Council, it’s inaction meant the PUD automatically passed, Laird said.
“The Town Council always said we wouldn’t rezone R2 to R4 or R5, but we can’t deny those with existing R4 or R5 zoning,” Pettit said.
It was also noted that the closest multifamily units in town are more than 5,200 feet away. The town has set a 3,000-foot buffer between multifamily developments..
Pettit said he had met with Broadfield homeowners and they’re on board with the new proposal.
“They like the reduction in the number of units and they like that they’ll be marketed to the medical profession,” Pettit said.
In another matter, Pettit said the town hasn’t had a comprehensive master plan since the late 1990s.
With the census coming up, Svetanoff recommended the council and plan commission work together to get preliminary costs and quotes so they can begin work on the master plan right after the new census data are released.
PREVIOUS ARTICLE
