[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6478875,"mediaKeyId","5707822-dc79a6e0af0ae733465be7e00fbbf711","parentId",5707822,"title","Board approves Broad Ripple sculpture despite resident safety concerns; DPW had cleared art-in-right-of-way review","audioSeconds",4308,"startMs",2688000,"endMs",6996000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5707822-dc79a6e0af0ae733465be7e00fbbf711&start=2688&end=6996","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5707822-dc79a6e0af0ae733465be7e00fbbf711/thumbnail_2688000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6478875/Indianapolis-City/Marion-County/Indiana/Board-approves-Broad-Ripple-sculpture-despite-resident-safety-concerns-DPW-had-cleared-art-in-right-of-way-review","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6478875-4ec11200fe80ec8bf23a1b32a8c8986e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771155494&Signature=bvkqkTYT5wbb6yc2XXN7Y-VPJdLgCZ5nqU6h84KBwXo9LGF~7RBtah3GrLTL3G5hSkkuVesfPGDmPmFIKqu~6tYuB6AM~sHXwhxy6wtYZp8tn0HQXIzWnxl95Cb8J8u-cyNOL8AGFqu5yftKoUn64Wq2c1bepbKTdRpFeWO6qXXkd~sCgZ6fcP5d4AWz-uQBGazv2RNwQWNdrpT-CcDbVDKZi5W1FCbj7oF4CFeGIwVy9jruseqFh0kXmjnUBNb~LPqATvWcxOtG2jpRRhrD7sYF~Ot4f5EbcgHdXR-UnWj55mVXhue4eKmwZ~Q1KM3IdD7NsOsQRQcK77TShkeKSQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Indianapolis, IN","date","2025-09-02T00:00:00Z","article","The Metropolitan Board of Zoning Appeals Division 1 on Aug. 19 granted a variance to allow installation of a privately funded public sculpture at the northwest corner of College Avenue and Westfield Boulevard in the Broad Ripple village area.

Petitioner Mark Demmerly, representing the Indianapolis Art Center and Broad Ripple stakeholders, asked the board to permit a minor encroachment into the zoning clear sight triangle — requesting a 100-foot working triangle where the zoning ordinance specifies 120 feet — for an approximately 32.5-foot steel sculpture on a roughly 2.5-foot concrete base adjacent to the Central Canal. Demmerly said the project has private funding, easements from Citizens Energy Group for the parcel portion they own, and a maintenance fund overseen by partner organizations.

The proposal drew roughly an hour of testimony in the hearing from supporters who said public art would revitalize Broad Ripple and from residents and designers who raised safety and scale concerns. Remonstrators described the intersection as complex — with buses, Red Line stations, multiple pedestrian crossings and constrained sidewalks — and urged denial or relocation. Opponents cited worn crosswalks, broken pedestrian push buttons and the presence of a weathered wood retaining wall by the canal as factors raising public-safety concerns.

Staff of the Division of Planning recommended approval for the limited right-of-way encroachment. Staff and the Department of Public Works (DPW) said the project had passed DPW’s Art in the Right of Way review, noted the installation would be privately funded and maintained, and reported that Citizens Energy Group had granted an easement for a portion of the parcel. Staff said the encroachment into the zoning clear sight triangle was minor and that DPW uses a 100-foot engineering sight-triangle standard in practice; DPW’s deputy director of policy and planning, Daniel Stevenson, told the board the structure would be engineered to withstand a 115-mph wind gust and that the installation would use deep pilings and grounding rods, not rely on the canal wall, for structural support.

Opponents asked for a traffic study and pressed for commitments on lighting (staff requested non-monochromatic, non-traffic-signal colors) and long-term maintenance. Several remonstrators pointed to online polls and neighborhood surveys that found significant opposition to siting this specific sculpture at the intersection. Supporters noted public meetings and outreach earlier in the year and emphasized private funding and community stewardship commitments.

Board members voted to grant the variance. The roll call was: Jennifer Witt — yes; David Duncan — yes; Peter Nelson — yes; Andrew Catona — yes; Patrice Duckett Brown — yes. Staff and DPW will continue to process required administrative approvals, including a DBNS encroachment license and any final easement documentation with Citizens Energy Group and other required city approvals before installation may begin.

The board’s approval addresses only the zoning clear-sight-triangle variance and does not substitute for required DPW, DBNS or easement agreements, nor for permits and engineering reviews required before construction.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council of Indianapolis, IN - Board of Zoning Appeals, Division 1","oneSentenceSummary","The Metropolitan Board of Zoning Appeals Division 1 on Aug. 19 approved a variance allowing a privately funded public sculpture at the northwest corner of College Avenue and Westfield Boulevard in Broad Ripple, after a contested hearing on safety, scale and community input.","taxTitle","Indianapolis City, Marion County, Indiana","taxId",3627,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":44,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6478880,"Williams Creek homeowners granted variance to expand garage; city staff had recommended denial",1296,1392000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5707822-dc79a6e0af0ae733465be7e00fbbf711&start=1392&end=2688","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5707822-dc79a6e0af0ae733465be7e00fbbf711/thumbnail_1392000.jpg","/articles/6478880/Indianapolis-City/Marion-County/Indiana/Williams-Creek-homeowners-granted-variance-to-expand-garage-city-staff-had-recommended-denial","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6478880-1345b61cbb7a28b418e751ff20515eba/orig.mp4?Expires=1771155494&Signature=l91WfySYqKGzShybiPL7tMIU26CUu4ohagkir6AngOpQgVpEz2tTW~SlY28y9wRrXFgtVdI9~WeO2DihjajN2mmPvV2omU-GbnrmLWmsoCOOH4tEDfLjFMG4Zl87VTK7ehE475RWTcEHf8JoJnjcqcpl-WKQvDuzyU6jrcOLFhnIf1uIIUuvRiqDs42A2kj7WsyDnoKNAScLjd8VRQooie3-h6PqAaZMG48bCSBtu1C5V8yBqvSokP4R3RazlMgPDqdofNbFi932hZtdPnSqQRY2cc~ie5QouGXYaPDEFvcuR5wZL8LXo-rY3xs809iqyHzJlR1E9RmzZ7jxK0YqcA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Metropolitan Board of Zoning Appeals Division 1 on Aug. 19 granted a variance to Brian Mayer and Lauren Riley to expand an attached garage at 7986 North College Avenue in the Williams Creek neighborhood.

The petition approved by the board allows a garage addition that requires a 2-foot south side-yard setback where 15 feet is required, and acknowledges an existing encroachment of roughly six inches into a four-foot utility easement. The addition will reduce required open space to 81 percent, where 85 percent is required by the district standards.

The petitioners’ attorney, Misha Rabinowitch, told the board the house — built in the 1930s and known locally as the Hydrangea House — is functionally a one-bedroom and the owners need more living space for their family. Rabinowitch said the proposed addition is sited to preserve the historically recognized garden on the north side of the property and that adjacent neighbors and the Williams Creek Town Council and Nora Community Council had submitted letters of support. “We’re not aware of any opposition,” Rabinowitch said during the hearing.

Staff from the Division of Planning recommended denial. Staff said the property is legally nonconforming, the proposed addition would increase that nonconformity substantially (from a 2-foot to an effectively more intrusive condition by the plan), and would further encroach into a platted easement that staff said should normally be addressed through a vacation petition heard by the plat committee. Staff also flagged potential building-code and fire-rating issues for construction two feet from a property line and noted that approval of a variance would not guarantee required encroachment licenses or other permits.

Rabinowitch and the petitioners told the board the easement in question contained no active utilities along the affected length, that AES (the utility with recorded access) had provided written consent to the encroachment, and that the encroachment is minimal. Rabinowitch said the owners obtained written consent from immediate neighbors and that the addition would be set back more than 125 feet from College Avenue.

After hearing arguments and questions from the board, members voted to grant the variance. The roll call was recorded as: Jennifer Witt — yes; David Duncan — yes; Peter Nelson — yes; Andrew Catona — yes; Patrice Duckett Brown — yes.

The board’s approval includes the practical outcomes discussed at the hearing: the petitioner must still obtain required permits from Business and Neighborhood Services, and any encroachment license or vacation necessary to protect utilities remains a separate administrative process. The board’s action documents the variance; compliance with any conditions or commitments will be required before building permits are issued.","The Metropolitan Board of Zoning Appeals Division 1 granted a variance to Brian and Lauren Mayer to expand an attached garage at 7986 North College Avenue, despite staff concerns about increasing a legally nonconforming setback and encroachment into a platted easement.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6478871,"Board denies variance for on-site fuel tanks at Maize Road concrete business",2106,7494000,9600000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5707822-dc79a6e0af0ae733465be7e00fbbf711&start=7494&end=9600","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5707822-dc79a6e0af0ae733465be7e00fbbf711/thumbnail_7494000.jpg","/articles/6478871/Indianapolis-City/Marion-County/Indiana/Board-denies-variance-for-on-site-fuel-tanks-at-Maize-Road-concrete-business","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6478871-b49ed34933f3055c017e1d17a07408c6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771155494&Signature=RAnhl5M~qSLyoFsESn3VAvCLwhYzYZTI2l4AYzAlUJiGb3WvAzQo7fttOdXOw9oka-D-SyHhKB8uVQDZadOsSrKeOeg87aqQaoa2m9RsnSsVhXIK6OyFTZZ5GQXPP9rIolPEk4mncp0vG8U8XGOcUpB9tahxdv1aHRVAkC9ASq6f2P9R8Wj387K5MJ9-E5~3m8vNpRzE9yXpZpCtbgY3CKamGRk6p~8sfsZgOnmDZbjomxODi-ceve~nhkicOPSj0CdRk6geMsdvrY7KO05oDiYnFTROu6r8bUqjbMY0p1fKNv8~pcttbGGuYk-K~w77CzlcA7DbCprC9d-EGsyhJg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Metropolitan Board of Zoning Appeals Division 1 on Aug. 19 denied a variance request from Michael and Nicole Cole that would have allowed two above-ground fuel tanks to remain at their property at 1150 Maize Road for use by their business, Concrete Indie LLC.

Attorney John Cross, representing the Coles, said the double-walled tanks (a 350-gallon gasoline tank and a 550-gallon diesel tank) have been on the long, deep lot for several years and are used exclusively to fuel the petitioner’s company vehicles; the property already holds a 2023 variance allowing limited contractor parking for up to 11 commercial vehicles. Cross said the Coles were unaware the tanks required a variance and that the equipment is commercial-grade and installed for safety and convenience.

Division of Planning staff recommended denial. Staff explained that the property is zoned DA (agricultural) and that above-ground fuel storage on DA-zoned parcels is permitted when associated with agricultural activity; the Coles’ use is not agricultural, staff said. Staff also cited the increased intensity of commercial activity on a residential/agricultural parcel, the presence of multiple heavy commercial vehicles (including F-350 trucks and trailers) and the potential risk to groundwater and neighboring private water systems. Staff noted the tanks were installed without prior zoning approvals and said that the site’s proximity to residential wells and the water system merited caution.

Cross and petitioner Michael Cole told the board the tanks have operated without incident, are double-walled with fuel-detection features, and reduce vehicle trips by allowing weekly refueling on site rather than multiple trips to off-site stations. The petitioner also committed that any variance would terminate automatically upon sale of the property to a third party.

Board members voted to deny the request. The roll call was recorded as: Jennifer Witt — yes (in favor of granting); David Duncan — no; Peter Nelson — yes (in favor of granting); Andrew Catona — no; Patrice Duckett Brown — no. With three no votes, the petition failed and the variance was not granted. The board’s denial leaves the existing installation as a potential zoning violation subject to further administrative enforcement or a future rezoning/variance application.

The board’s action does not resolve any separate permitting or fire-code questions; those remain matters for the appropriate agencies if the property owner pursues alternate remedies.","The board denied a variance request to allow two above-ground fuel tanks (350-gallon gasoline and 550-gallon diesel) to remain at a residential property used to park commercial vehicles; staff said the tanks are not permitted in the property's DA zoning absent agricultural use.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board approves Broad Ripple sculpture despite resident safety concerns; DPW had cleared art-in-right-of-way review

Williams Creek homeowners granted variance to expand garage; city staff had recommended denial

Board denies variance for on-site fuel tanks at Maize Road concrete business