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Hearing examiner recommends denial of Madison Avenue rezoning to allow outdoor vehicle storage and sales
Summary
The hearing examiner recommended denial of a petition to rezone a Madison Avenue property to permit outdoor storage and auto sales, concluding the existing C4 district already allows by‑right auto repair and that expanded outdoor storage and sales would conflict with the transit‑oriented overlay and surrounding residential context.
The hearing examiner recommended denial on Feb. 27 of a petition to rezone 0.37 acre at 5353 Madison Avenue (petition 2025 ZON 006 as amended) to permit expanded outdoor storage of vehicles and on‑site auto sales. The recommendation will be forwarded to the Metropolitan Development Commission for consideration at its March meeting.
The petitioner’s engineering representative, Chris Badger of Badger Engineering, said the business is an auto‑repair operation that needs overnight parking for customer vehicles and asked that the property be rezoned to C5 to allow auto sales on site in addition to repair. Owner Ali (address given as 5335 Madison Avenue) told the hearing examiner the site needs overnight parking so work can continue while parts are awaited.
Staff opposed the rezoning. Marlena (planning staff) told the examiner staff recommends denial even for the reduced C5 request. The parcel sits largely in a C4 TOD (transit‑oriented development) context; the TOD secondary district discourages auto‑dependent uses and outdoor storage that do not support a pedestrian environment. Marlena said the auto‑repair business can operate under the current C4 district and violations tied to outdoor storage could be corrected without rezoning.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization submitted a written comment opposing expanded outdoor storage and auto‑related uses in the TOD area, noting planned investments in bus rapid transit and pedestrian/bicycle infrastructure along Madison Avenue.
A neighbor, John Gartner, objected to vehicles being stored on adjacent property and said some vehicles had been parked over property lines; he said the family had owned adjacent land for decades. Staff noted the on‑site violation history and that the proposed rezoning would allow outdoor storage beyond 24 hours—something the current C4 zoning does not permit.
The hearing examiner said the C4 district is more appropriate for the site, that the TOD overlay discourages uses relying solely on automobiles, and recommended denial of the rezoning request; the matter will be heard by the Metropolitan Development Commission on the commission’s March agenda.
Votes at a glance: The hearing examiner recommended denial and will forward the recommendation to the Metropolitan Development Commission for final action.
What’s next: The MDC will take final action; if the commission denies rezoning, the owner may pursue compliance options available within the existing C4 district or identify a different location for expanded outdoor storage or auto sales.
