Plan commission committee forwards Gramercy development plan to full commission after staff sign-offs
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Summary
The Carmel Plan Commission committee voted unanimously to send Buckingham Companies’ Gramercy development plan to the full Planning Commission for final consideration after staff confirmed multiple outstanding site, lighting and bicycle-parking items were addressed.
The Carmel Plan Commission committee on April 1 voted to forward the Gramercy (docket PZ202400242DP) development plan to the full Planning Commission with a favorable recommendation after city staff told commissioners outstanding comments had been addressed.
The developer, represented by attorney John Davoshewicz of Nelson Frankenberger and Eric Dirks of Buckingham Companies, told the committee the petitioner had followed up with neighbors and staff, repaired storm-damaged landscaping and supplied revised building elevations, lighting plans and a plan for bicycle parking. Planning staff recommended the favorable referral after reviewing the additional submittals.
Staff said the amended materials align the architecture of four existing apartment buildings with newly proposed townhome buildings and meet the PUD requirements. The petitioner showed added masonry and color variation on the proposed three‑story buildings and a site lighting diagram that addresses an amenity‑building mural area. Buckingham also provided a distributed long‑term bicycle parking plan and a bicycle garage converted from a leasable garage bay.
John Davoshewicz said the petitioner had reached out repeatedly to a neighbor who raised concerns at the February public hearing and had taken action on several items. “One of which…was a tree that had fallen over… and that was taken care of about a week after the plan commission had met last,” Davoshewicz said. Eric Dirks added that replacement trees had already been planted: “We actually planted those 27 trees last fall. So we're actually waiting for those to leaf out and see if they've survived the winter.”
Department staff confirmed that architectural review comments — including masonry, soldier‑course brick headers and gutter/downspout color revisions — had been addressed, and that engineering had requested native‑planting signage and limits on mowing/spraying in preserved areas. On bicycle parking, the petitioner reported meeting with staff and the city’s alternative transportation coordinator and agreed to provide 67 long‑term bicycle parking spaces on the site; staff noted the UDO encourages up to 267 spaces for a development of this scale.
Neighbors had also raised concerns about street lights, sidewalk low spots along Almond Drive and damaged curbs. Davoshewicz and Buckingham said sitesuperintendents would inspect sidewalks and curbs and coordinate repairs with engineering prior to performance bond release. On lighting, Dirks said special‑order parts were in hand and powder‑coated to match fixtures, and repairs were “imminent” within a week or two.
Votes at a glance Motion: Forward docket PZ202400242DP (Gramercy/Buckingham Companies) to full Planning Commission with a favorable recommendation; moved from the dais and seconded in committee. Tally: Ayes 5, Nays 0 Outcome: forwarded to full Planning Commission for final action.
The petitioner and staff said the plan will return to the Planning Commission later in April for final adoption consideration, at which time architecture (ADLS) for the townhomes and exterior amendments for the four apartment buildings will appear for final review. The petitioner also agreed to provide an explicit green‑space acreage figure at the next hearing and to supply further detail on play‑area amenities and urban‑forester suggestions.
