The Hammond City Advisory Board of Zoning Appeals on June 3 granted a conditional use and a developmental variance to permit a three‑story senior residential building at 5911 Noble Avenue and to reduce the project’s parking ratio.

City staff recommended approval of two related cases — Z‑2505, the conditional use to allow a third story in the R‑4 High Density Residential District, and Z‑2506, a developmental variance to permit a parking ratio below one space per unit — and the board voted 5‑0 on each measure.

The approvals clear the board’s land‑use and parking requirements but do not guarantee financing or construction. Developer representatives said the project will seek low‑income housing tax credits and still requires final technical plan review by city staff before building permits are issued.

Gorman and Company representatives Matt Burbach and Dan O’Meara described the proposal as a two‑phase senior housing development sited adjacent to Memorial Park. Burbach said, “what we're proposing right now is a 134, unit apartment building that will be in Memorial Park,” language the team later corrected during the meeting to state the total project will be 120 units, with phase one comprising 84 units and phase two 36 units. O’Meara, the project architect, said the unit mix will be roughly 50% studios and 50% one‑bedrooms and the development will serve residents age 55 and older.

City staff’s report, read into the record at the hearing, recommended that the board grant the conditional use “subject to the following conditions” including approval of the companion variance (Z‑2506) and final technical review of plans by city staff. The staff report and a proposed set of findings of fact were entered into the record before each vote.

Discussion at the hearing focused on parking and site details. O’Meara said the developer’s portfolio of affordable senior properties typically uses fewer than one parking space per unit because many residents do not drive and because the projects include resident transportation services. He told the board that the applicant plans to include visitor spaces and will “definitely look into” transportation to grocery stores and medical appointments. Staff and board members also clarified parking‑stall and drive‑aisle dimensions during the staff presentation.

City staff and a representative from the redevelopment commission said the commission is a contingent purchaser of the parcel and that earlier entitlement steps are already complete: subdivision approval in December and rezoning approval by the city council in March. Staff noted the site plan includes four outlots (three detention basins and one passive recreational area) and that duplex lots discussed for a later phase would be handled separately for parking.

There was no public comment on the cases during the hearing. After the staff report and findings were placed in the record, the board voted by roll call to approve the conditional use (Z‑2505) and the developmental variance for parking (Z‑2506), each motion passing 5 ayes, 0 nays, 0 abstentions. The board also approved the meeting minutes from April 29, 2025, by a 5‑0 vote earlier in the session.

The developer said it will apply in July for low‑income housing tax credits through the agencies referenced at the hearing and will return to city staff for final technical review before construction permits are issued. The approvals allow the project to proceed to those next steps but leave outstanding contingencies tied to financing, final plan approval and the redevelopment commission’s property purchase.