Commission backs rezoning of Christ United Church land for 78‑unit Meadows development despite resident objections

The Richmond Advisory Plan Commission on May 27 voted 7–1 to recommend that Richmond City Council rezone 19.25 acres at 3430 Bachmeire Road from Institutional to M1 multifamily residential, a change the applicant says would enable 30 structures and 78 individually owned units.

Gordon Moore of Bemore and Associates said the proposal would split roughly 19.25 acres for development while leaving about five acres for the church to continue services. Moore described planned connections to nearby sanitary sewer and water lines (either via the Arbors subdivision or Bachmeire Road), a planned detention basin discharging to Scott Ditch, and the need for approvals from the Richmond Sanitary District, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the Wayne County Drainage Board. "No surface water... will go onto any of the adjacent tracts," Moore said, adding that construction controls and erosion measures will be included in later design phases.

Developer Gil Richards (La Properties) outlined market and traffic analysis plans and said the company would conduct a traffic study before the primary plat application. Richards said the project aims to deliver workforce housing and committed to certain measures for the church property, including moving playground equipment and remediating drainage issues. "We're on the verge of something pretty special here," Richards said when describing the project’s potential to finish the nearby Arbors subdivision and add workforce housing.

The public hearing drew broad opposition from nearby residents. Speakers cited safety concerns on hilly, narrow Bachmeire Road, recurring drainage and yard flooding, potential loss of meadow habitat and wildlife, questions about building heights and ownership (rental vs. owner‑occupied), and the absence of final traffic and drainage engineering. Brent Hayworth told the commission the proposed entrance location on Bachmeire Road was a "real safety problem" for neighbors; Jason Fleer said the proposal "represents the wrong type of development in the wrong location" and asked that a traffic impact study and infrastructure review be completed before rezoning.

Staff presented a detailed review of the application and recommended approval, citing the Richmond 2025 comprehensive plan’s support for transitional multifamily uses, the property’s context between a Walmart‑anchored commercial area and single‑family neighborhoods, and consistency with the city’s objectives for compact infill. Staff noted the preliminary site plan shows nine four‑unit condominiums and 21 duplex condominiums (30 structures, 78 units), that notices were sent to 51 adjacent property owners and that six written responses opposed the petition.

Commissioners debated access alternatives (egress via Rose Hill/Arbors or South 37th Street rather than Bachmeire Road) and emphasized that the commission’s recommendation is advisory. Several members said they were uncomfortable approving rezoning without detailed traffic and drainage studies but also recognized the city’s need for additional housing. The roll call recorded Michael Divine voting No and the remaining commissioners voting Yes; tally was 7–1 to recommend approval. The recommendation will be forwarded to Richmond City Council; primary and secondary plats, traffic and drainage engineering, and construction plans must be submitted for later approvals if the council adopts the zoning change.

Next steps: the rezoning recommendation will be placed on the council agenda; if council approves the map change, the developer must return to the planning body with primary and secondary plats and the required technical studies.