Carmel forms mayoral housing commission, elects officers and prioritizes zoning review

CARMEL — The mayor’s newly created Mayor’s Advisory Commission on Housing met for the first time and elected Councilor Shannon Menar chair, selected Chris Prior as vice chair and Todd Fanolio as secretary, and agreed to prioritize a review of current zoning regulations and publication of maps showing existing housing inventory as first steps toward a citywide housing strategy.

The commission — formed by the mayor’s executive order to carry on work begun by the Carmel Housing Task Force — opened with members introducing themselves and described the group’s immediate work. Christine Zicola, president of the Carmel Plan Commission, summarized the task force’s output: “At the end of it, we issued 13 different recommendations,” she said, listing items that range from protecting single-family neighborhoods to encouraging redevelopment along the U.S. 31 corridor.

The recommendations are intended…