RICHMOND, Ind. — It took several months of revisions, but Brian Stumpf finally won over a majority of Richmond's Common Council Monday night.
Stumpf, owner of 11th Street Development, based in Indianapolis, proposed back in April the Smith Hill Planned Unit Development, a project that would have had 178 single-family homes of different styles and price points, a 220-unit apartment complex and a child care facility built on 80 acres between South 37th Street and Garwood Road.
That plan was rejected 6-3 by council members over many concerns, but Stumpf returned to Monday's meeting with enough revisions to swing four of them, namely Anne Taylor, Jane Bumbalough, Justin Burkhardt and Jerry Purcell, along with those still in favor: Doug Goss, Bill Engle and Gary Turner.
What were the revisions?
There were three big changes to 11th Street Development's revised plan. First, the 220-unit apartment complex was completely removed. Second, there was no longer a child care center, with the plan no longer incorporating any commercial development.
The third was the removal of 100 homes to address the public's concerns that 80 acres would be too dense for so many, as well as the number of people living there posing a potential traffic issue.
Stumpf also introduced the price points for the different types of housing, starting at $225,000.
Concerns over development's usage of water, unattractiveness to outsiders
Before the public hearing, Stumpf addressed several concerns that members of the public had regarding drainage and flooding, nine retention ponds, private wells and water pressure, which included Wayne County Surveyor Gordon Moore discussing the specifics of the drainage ordinances that the development would follow.
"We are required to have less water leave the site after heavy rains than currently happens," Stumpf said. "We have to capture that. That's why we have the ponds and that's why it is slowly released to the site."
Regarding the safety concerns of retention ponds, Stumpf said they are designed with safety ledges and physical barriers in mind should they be located near roads or other worrisome areas.
That didn't alleviate multiple neighbors' concerns, including Carol Greene, who along with others, wore stickers that read "Please Vote No on 40-2024."
"My fear is that the water issue is going to be shoved right into Sandbridge Hills, and after a hard rain, I'm going to be sloshing around in my living room ankle deep in water just to hear somebody say, 'Gee, we're awful sorry, but it's too late. There's nothing we can do,'" she said. "Someone said Backmeyer Trace, there's nothing they can do. I want to make sure something is done before it's done to make sure it works."
Curtis Whichard was against the proposal because of one of the retention ponds being placed in the corner of his back yard, as well as the possible unlikelihood of people moving to Richmond.
"What do we have to offer here in Richmond other than housing?" he said. "We don't have an amusem*nt park here, this is a retirement city. Unfortunately, I didn't move out when I was young and I've been here for 55 years. I don't see anything exciting here, and I don't see anyone wanting to come here and buy a $250,000 home that they can't afford and struggle to make it."
Community leaders come out in force in support of development
Although most residents near the proposed development spoke out against it, many community leaders were in favor, most of whom because of the need of growth for the city and to give outsiders a reason to move to Richmond.
Educational leaders Dennis Rome, Chris Little, Kenneth Christmon and Chad Bolser, representatives for Ivy Tech, Earlham College and Indiana University East, all spoke to the need of attracting workers.
"I have lost talent because of the challenges of finding adequate housing," Rome, chancellor at IU East, said. "I am convinced that we can address some of the issues on the opposing side as well as continue to create adequate housing for people who would like to be a part of this wonderful community."
Several nonprofit leaders attended in hopes of seeing the proposal pass, including Wayne County Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Melissa Vance, Wayne County Convention and Tourism Bureau Executive Director Mary Walker, Wayne County Economic Development Corp. President Valerie Shaffer, and Forward Wayne County Program Manager Acacia St. John.
Wayne County commissioner Brad Dwenger also spoke on behalf of the rest of the commissioners, who voted unanimously in support of the project a couple weeks earlier.
"It went into the county's overall comprehensive plan for growth," Dwenger said. "If Richmond is successful, all of Wayne County is successful. We must grow or we're not going to survive. We've got to stop the drain of citizens leaving our community, and this project fits that very well."
District Rep. Larry Parker speaks strongly against development
District 4 Councilman Larry Parker, who represents the area that will house the development, sided with the 94 out of 96 people who submitted letters opposed to the proposal.
"The one thing I guess that really bothers me the most is the fact that we're elected to represent the people and their wishes, and I can't look at those 94 people who sent in letters of opposition and say, 'Well, you're dumb. Your wishes don't count. Your opposition went unheard,'" he said. "We need housing but we don't need it here, and I will be voting no on this issue."
District 1 councilwoman Dr. Lucinda Wright, the other council member opposed, asked for clarification from Stumpf about changes being made after approval Monday night, as well as a picture provided of supposed townhouses that looked like an apartment building.
"Yes, I do have a problem with TIF dollars," Wright said. "That's all that matters to me at this particular point in time. We do have a housing shortage ... 7,000 underhoused, and 5,500 I believe it are senior citizens. Infrastructure, it needs to be fixed. Why don't we do things in order? That's what I can't figure out about us. We need to be a good steward."
Wright added that her vote was "the way God directed" her to vote and that she's been praying about it the whole time and is still praying.
What else happened at the meeting?
In a unanimous vote, the Richmond Common Council voted to amend the zoning map of 6400 National Road East from Institution District to General Commercial District,
The mayor of Uranus, Louie Keen, was at the meeting to speak in favor of the proposal and thank the city for allowing him to bring jobs and laughter to Richmond.
"People will laugh at Uranus, I promise," Keen said, eliciting laughter from council members and the public. "I want to thank you guys for letting us open Uranus in Richmond."
The board also unanimously approved amending the 2024 budget to appropriate $106,289.77 into the Parks Emergency Fund for a variety of areas, including a new fountain for Glen Miller Park, security cameras at Veterans and Glen Miller parks and a backflow preventer at Cordell Municipal Pool, among others.
Purcell asked about a post from social media that stated that the city had purchased 720 E Main St., the former site of The Secret Ingredient. Mayor Ron Oler responded that was true and that the city had taken ownership back from Richmond Neighborhood Restoration yet is still within the Placement Loans Accelerating Companies and Entrepreneurs program.
Oler said the building will be discussed by the Community Economic and Revolving Loan Fund board for proposals in about a month for future usage by entrepreneurs.
Evan Weaver is a news and sports reporter at The Palladium-Item. Contact him on X (@evan_weaver7) or email ateweaver@gannett.com.
