Evansville area plan commission recommends several rezonings, conditions one and continues another

The Area Plan Commission of Evansville and Vanderburgh County on Aug. 7 recommended approval of four rezoning petitions, continued one rezoning request to the next meeting for further outreach and UDC revision, and approved the commission’s 2026 application and meeting schedule.

Why it matters: The rezonings would legalize several multiunit residential properties and advance a proposed mixed-use redevelopment in the Jacobsville/Evansville Promise area. Commissioners attached or sought use-and-development commitments (UDCs) to limit future uses or unit counts; neighbors raised concerns about parking, drainage and enterprise-zone effects.

REZ-2025-026 (Benninghoff/Bellemeade) — legalize existing fourplex with UDC Beechtree Properties LLC, on behalf of Callahan Investment Group LLC, sought to rezone a property on the north side of Bellemeade Avenue (docket listed as REZ-2025-026) from R2 to R3 to legalize an existing four-unit building. Owner Hassan Takieden told the commission he purchased the property about a month earlier and said, “In order to finalize the financing, we just wanna get it into proper zoning so that we can start the renovation on the property.” Commissioners asked that the petitioner file a use-and-development commitment limiting the lot to four dwelling units; Takieden agreed. The commission voted 9–0 to recommend approval to city council with a UDC limiting the site to four units.

REZ-2025-028 (2230 West Maryland) — remove legal nonconforming status Dakota Willett requested rezoning of 2230 West Maryland Street from C4 to R2 to remove a legal nonconforming commercial designation and confirm continued single-family use. Willett did not add a UDC at filing and made no additional remarks at the hearing. The commission voted 9–0 to recommend approval to city council.

REZ-2025-029 (1922 West Indiana) — historic-house conversion legalized with UDC Evansville Historic Homes Inc. (applicant represented by Lucas Neuffer) requested rezoning of 1922 West Indiana Street from R2 to R4 to legalize four dwelling units spread across two structures that had been converted without permits. Neuffer said she purchased the property in 2021 and did not do the prior conversions and stated a plan to keep the property at four units. Commissioners indicated a UDC limiting the property to four units would be appropriate. The commission voted 9–0 to recommend approval to city council conditioned on a UDC limiting the property to four units.

REZ-2025-030 (1701 North Heidelbach Avenue) — proposed ~136-unit conversion; commission conditions UDC GemTown Holdings LLC (applicant working with House Investments; represented at hearing by attorney Krista Lockyer) sought rezoning of 1701 North Heidelbach Avenue from M3 to C2 with a UDC to allow conversion of an existing warehouse into a proposed mixed-use residential project. Lockyer said the developer envisions approximately 136 units and that House Investments hopes to pursue low-income housing tax credits but is aiming at workforce housing. Staff noted the request is not consistent with the city’s 2035 future land-use map (industrial) but is consistent with the Jacobsville redevelopment plan and the Evansville Promise neighborhood policies. Lockyer said the applicant would be willing to revise the UDC to exclude the disfavored uses listed in city Council resolution C-2023-29.

Neighbors raised concerns about parking and whether the rezoning would affect enterprise-zone benefits for adjacent homeowners. Resident Travis Bridal said residents were “up and concern” about potential loss of enterprise-zone state tax deductions and about adding hundreds of parking demands to a small block; House Investments’ representative said the project would provide dedicated on-site parking and that the developer has a record of sizing parking for similar projects. Commissioners discussed leaving the motion conditional on the applicant revising the UDC to add the disfavored-use prohibitions from resolution C-2023-29; the commission voted 9–0 to recommend approval to city council with that condition noted in the record.

REZ-2025-027 (2741 & 2761 Allens Lane) — R3 to M2 request continued for UDC revision and outreach Mag Holdings LLC (represented by attorney Maria Bulkley) requested rezoning of roughly 15.5 acres north of Diamond Avenue, between Mesker Park Drive and North St. Joseph Avenue, from R3 to M2 with a UDC to allow a commercial/industrial subdivision. Bulkley and project team presented concept drawings and argued the parcel is surrounded by a mix of industrial and commercial uses. Neighbors and immediate property owners, including Charles Samples (2801 Allens Lane), spoke at the hearing with concerns about traffic, large-truck movements on Allen’s Lane, drainage and loss of views. Commissioners and staff urged the applicant to refine the UDC to remove or limit specific heavy industrial uses, to add appropriate buffering/landscape or berming adjacent to residential uses, and to engage with nearby residents and the Westside Improvement Association.

At the applicant’s request and after commissioner discussion, the commission voted to continue the Allens Lane rezoning to the next meeting and to waive the re-notification fee so the applicant could amend the UDC and conduct further outreach. The continuation vote was recorded as affirmative by the commissioners present (roll call recorded as yes votes totaling the affirmative count in the meeting record).

Other business — meeting schedule The commission approved the 2026 application deadlines and meeting schedule as presented; the roll call showed the motion passed with an affirmative vote by commissioners present.

What the commission decided and next steps The commission’s recommendations (the four approvals and the conditioned approval) are advisory and will be forwarded to city council or the county commissioners as appropriate. The continued Allens Lane petition will return to the Area Plan Commission after the applicant revises its UDC and conducts additional outreach. The commission’s next regular meeting is scheduled for Sept. 4, 2025, at 3 p.m. in Room 301 of the Civic Center Complex.

Direct quotes in this article come from the meeting transcript and are attributed to the speakers who made them in the hearing record.