Update: URGENT DEVELOPMENT THREAT

About a week and a half ago, information became available about a housing development proposal coming before the Hendricks County Commission Meeting on April 5, 2005. The proposed development is named Foxhaven and is planned to be located in Hendricks County just west of the Marion County line along 86th Street. The proposal is for approximately 700 homes on 380 acres. The impact of increased traffic on 86th Street through Traders Point heading for Indianapolis will affect our area greatly. We already have heavy traffic through TP and don't want more to influence widening of 86th Street. The current 20-year plan of Marion County does not include widening. Additionally, the developer of Foxhaven has not made it known how sewage and storm water from the planned housing development will be handled. The area is not sewered so the guess is the developer would put in a small package sewage treatment plant. The existing examples of these type treatment plants throughout Indiana are notable for operation and maintenance problems. The discharge from such a treatment plant at the planned Foxhaven location would go into Eagle Creek or a tributary and eventually flow into the Eagle Creek Reservoir.

Hendricks County residents opposed to this development are looking to Traders Point residents for support in their cause. There is a planning meeting among the residents of both areas scheduled for Wednesday, March 30, 2005, at 7 PM, in the West 86th Street Clubhouse, to prepare for the Hendricks County Commission Meeting on April 5, 2005. (Time and location for the commission meeting will be posted later.)

Please try to attend these meetings to help our neighbors in Hendricks County which will simultaneously help our situation in Traders Point.

Traders Point Christian Church Sale

Dear Neighbors, as many of you know, I am a member of Traders Point Christian Church and our children have been educated at their school for the past 12 years. Fifteen years ago we built across the street from the church and school. I believe that this church is one of the defining anchors to this neighborhood, not to mention a blessing to its members.

Several years ago I was asked to assist the church in identifying sites for their new campus and I introduced the church to the land owners and assisted in the acquistion of nearly 100 acres of their land in Boone County on the church's behalf. Leaving the Traders Point neighborhood was the church congregation's last choice. Numerous sites were evaluated prior to the congregation and the Boone County Commissioners agreeing to the new location. And when the church faced the prospect of selling their existing campus, I was honored to be chosen by their leadership team to lead the marketing and negotiations to sell the facility.

Many of you will be concerned about the prospect of change and the transition from a neighbor you know well to a new neighbor. Through my interaction with the people of New Life I have been gratified and excited to see many remarkable similarities between our two churches and we arelooking forward to maintaining a church and school in this location. But sadly, I know that for many of my neighbors they will only see the differences. One of my prayers for our neighborhood is that we set aside our differences on this new neighbor and embrace them with the warmth and enthusiasm I have felt from my Traders Point neighbors since we moved here. If you have any questions or concerns, you may email me confidentially at rreller@mresonline.com. Thanks!





"Church will buy Traders Point site
Congregation using mall space plans to move into departing church's facilities next summer.


Youngsters had a Bible lesson Wednesday at New Life Worship Center in the former Lazarus store at Lafayette Square. The church hopes to raise $4.7 million to buy the Traders Point church property, 7860 Lafayette Road, by the time it moves in. -- Adriane Jaeckle / The Star


New Life Worship Center
• Location: Lafayette Square Mall, northeast entrance, 3919 Lafayette Road
• Sunday services: 8 a.m. and 11 a.m.
• Wednesday night Bible study: 7 p.m.
• Information: (317) 925-8067

About the church
• Membership: 2,900
• Affiliation: Nondenominational
• Current home: Worship Center, Lafayette Square Mall. Offices: 2740 Kessler Blvd., N. Drive.
• Future home: 7860 Lafayette Road, current home of Traders Point Christian Church
• Timetable for moving: Summer-fall 2006
• Notable: The church has a 90-member choir and a 10-member praise team. It plans to install a recording studio at its future home to attract big-name gospel artists. One of its members, Max Siegel, is president of gospel music producer Verity Records.

By Robert King
robert.king@indystar.com
March 25, 2005


When New Life Worship Center moved into its current home at Lafayette Square Mall last year, the Rev. John Ramsey Sr. didn't have to look far for a sermon topic.

He preached about Lazarus -- the friend whom the Bible says Jesus raised from the dead. It also happened to be the name of the department store that once occupied the space the church was using.

Less than a year later, New Life Worship Center -- which counts Colts coach Tony Dungy as a member -- is planning to move again, this time to a home it can call its own.

New Life, a predominantly black church, has reached a deal to buy the Northwestside facilities of Traders Point Christian Church, a predominantly white church that's moving to a site in Boone County.

The deal announced recently is making this a special Easter season for both congregations. But the shuffling will cost a lot of money for both churches.

Traders Point plans to spend $20 million on the church it will build near I-65 and Ind. 334. The church's 2,000 members already have pledged $8.2 million to the cause.

New Life, a church that's grown from 300 members to nearly 3,000 in three years, hopes to raise the $4.7 million it will cost to buy the Traders Point property at 7860 Lafayette Road by the time it moves in next summer. That's in keeping with the church's overall focus on the blessings that can come with financial freedom.

Ramsey, New Life's pastor, says his church has never run a deficit since its beginnings in 2001 on Kessler Boulevard, where it opened with the help of Eastern Star Church.

One of the church's cornerstone ministries uses a church member who runs a local credit union -- and a team of accountants -- to advise church members on how to reduce their personal debts.

And Ramsey, who is teaching a series on smart money management, says he and his staffers take a "corporate church" approach to running the ministry. They even employed a private public relations firm to trumpet the purchase of the Traders Point property.

"The Scripture talks about Jesus being about his father's business. There is a business side to ministry," Ramsey said.

Paying for the Traders Point property quickly is merely being consistent, he said.

"It's practicing what we preach."

Church members responded to the deal with $1 million in pledges.

Mary Posey, a 51-year-old grandmother who has been with the church since its inception, said Ramsey has often taught about how financial empowerment helps the work of the church.

"It's hard to be in ministry if you are in debt. If the people are in debt and the church is in debt and God says move, it's hard to go get money somewhere," Posey said.

New Life has ministries in a variety of locations -- prisons, women's shelters, juvenile homes, apartment complexes and neighborhoods. But Ramsey said the phenomenal growth is based on something more than the church's own efforts.

"I think evangelism helps us tremendously," he said. "But I think God is doing something very special."

Murieta Covington, a 38-year-old mother of three who lives on the Northwestside, found it hard to explain her church's growth other than giving credit to God.

Ramsey is a good teacher who makes the Scriptures applicable to life, she said, but the family feeling at the church -- its welcomeness, as she put it -- is another essential ingredient.

"You really feel like part of a big family," Covington said.

The move will offer a lot of things, but it will not mean additional worship space for New Life. In fact, New Life can fit more people into the renovated Lazarus store than Traders Point's sanctuary will hold.

Still, the Traders Point property offers more office space, a sense of permanency and an opportunity to diversify New Life's racial makeup in what's considered a predominantly white part of the city.

"Every week, we have different cultures coming in," Ramsey said, "but not to the degree we would like to see it."

For Traders Point, which has been looking to move out of its cramped home for nearly a decade, the sale of its current home is a key milestone. But it isn't likely to speed up the completion of the new church.

Even so, plans for Traders Point's new church have evolved since a fund-raising drive that began in November with a special service at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Some reconfiguration of the building designs will enable Traders Point to increase its seating capacity to 2,600, up from the 1,400 originally planned. And church leaders have decided to commit 10 acres of the 90-acre site to the church's school, Traders Point Christian Academy.

The school will make the jump to the new property as soon as its own separate fund-raising effort allows. When it does, New Life has hopes of starting its own school.

The church deal is unique in that New Life is scheduled to take ownership of the Traders Point property within a month. From there, Traders Point will lease the property it has called home since 1964 until the church's new building is complete.

The Rev. Howard Brammer, senior minister at Traders Point, said the business dealings between the two congregations have been harmonious. And it is a relationship made more comfortable by the evangelistic focus the churches share.

"They're very excited. We're very excited. It's a win-win situation for the kingdom."

Call Star reporter Robert King at (317) 444-6089."

School Board Does It Again

In a repeat of the March 10th meeting, the Pike Township School Board once again tonight gaveled the meeting adjourned and refused to allow the Historic Traders Point representatives to speak to the board. Our attorney, Greg Cafouros, previously had submitted a written request to be included on the board's agenda, but, no matter, Board President Elaine Eilers closed down the meeting even as Mr. Caforus stood at the podium. There was an exchange of increasingly heated tones from Mrs. Eilers and Board Member David Corbitt telling Mr. Cafouros that the board would hear nothing from HTP. Our group had prepared a presentation that included several presenters to speak on numerous discussion points.

In earlier afternoon events prior to the start of the board meeting, an injunction was filed against the board alleging failure to comply with the Indiana Open Door Law regarding conduct of public meetings. Signs were posted on exterior walls of Central Elementary stating that there would be no discussion at the board meeting about the proposed land acquisition due to a legal technicality. Numerous people turned away and did not attend the meeting.

Keep close check on the Pike School Board web site at www.pike.k12.in.us/board
The next known board meeting is scheduled for April 14th. We must turn out in massive numbers. Spread the word among your neighbors.

DAVIS HOMES ZONING REQUEST DEFEATED

On March 16th, the Metropolitan Development Commission held a zoning hearing on a request from Davis Homes for a rezoning of 24.6 acres on 59th Street just south of Northwestway Park. Davis has owned the property since 2001 and considered other development plans but has determined that no option except their current intent to build 81 single family houses could be economically viable for Davis. The existing zoning is for multifamily dwellings (condos) and the rezoning request is actually a "down-zoning" meaning the density is less than for a multifamily type construction. However, the Pike Township Residents Association (PTRA), as remonstrants to the rezoning request, opposed the rezoning because relevant studies show that the price range of single family houses Davis wants to build would be expected to bring 55 new children to the Pike Schools whereas condos would be expected to bring 6. The PTRA remonstrance was built on the problems of school overcrowding, that Pike Township has one of the highest mortgage foreclosure rates in the nation, and those foreclosures are very detrimental to the tax base for the township and the county causing greater tax burden to the property tax paying residents.
Susan Blair, President of PTRA, gave a stellar presentation for the remonstrance. City-county councilors Ike Randolph (District 1) and Greg Bowes (District 7) attended the hearing and spoke in support of the remonstrance. As well, Councilors Angela Mansfield (District 2) and Lynn McWhirter (District 6), who could not attend, sent the MDC letters of opposition to the rezoning request. Davis Homes was represented by an experienced attorney who gave a strong presentation for the petitioner, but Susan and our councilors were exceedingly well prepared with statistics on real estate foreclosures in Pike and the school situation. The final vote among the 6 voting commissioners was 1 for the petitioner and 5 against the rezoning request by Davis.
This is a significant outcome for Pike residents and a benefit for our Traders Point school issues. Susan and our councilors deserve our sincere thanks. Consider sending each a note of appreciation.

As a final note on the zoning hearing: this was a first for me to witness a zoning hearing with such intensity by the petitioner and remonstrant including powerful rebuttals. It was actually riveting. Those of us Traders Point residents in attendance stood in support of the remonstrance, though without actually commenting to the commissioners ourselves. Presence at the hearing was helpful in the winning cause. The lesson is that of unity in cause - strength in numbers. Please take this lesson to heart concerning the upcoming Pike Township School Board Meetings on March 24th and April 14th.

UPDATE: IPL vs Trees

On March 15th, the mediation group of residents selected by Councilor Ike Randolph after the meeting with IPL at the Creamery on February 23rd met again with IPL and the Indianapolis forester along with Ike and Attorney Greg Silver. The mediation group calls ourselves Traders Point Green Preservation-TPGP). TPGP met among ourselves several times in preparation for the second meeting with IPL, and we developed our proposals for resolution of IPL's plan for tree removal and severe trimming. Those proposals,or talking points, were distributed via e-mail within Traders Point last week. We did not expect the negotiations to conclude at the March 15th meeting and they did not. IPL wants time to consider our proposals. Ike Randolph and Attorney Greg Silver are to coordinate with IPL and city forestry to take "field trips" to the Griffin, Huler, and Stevens properties (border south 86th Street). It was tentatively scheduled to meet again the first week of April. In the meantime, Councilor Randolph got IPL to continue the tree cutting moratorium until after the next round of negotiations.
Likely, the first activity of IPL after the March 15th meeting is to have a surveyor do a survey of the 86th Street corridor. In our preparations for these negotiations, TPGP and Greg Silver studied the Huler and Stevens mortgage surveys and the plat drawing of the Silver Leaf Estates (3 properties south of 86th on Moore's west side plus Silver Leaf Court, and Silver Ridge). Mr. Silver then had a surveyor of extensive Indianapolis experience do survey research and make a survey drawing of the Moore-86th intersection and areas east and west along 86th St. The surveyor's results confirmed the mortgage surveys that there is no utility easement on the south side of 86th Street west from the intersection at Moore, and the right of way is only 40 feet from road center then widening to 45 feet further west. Measurements made by TPGP of the power poles on the Huler and Stevens properties show them to be violating the right of way by many feet. Furthermore, running the length of Silver Leaf Estates along the south side of 86th Street is a 15 foot planting easement intended for trees to beautify 86th. IPL violated the planting easement in 1992 when they clear cut the trees from it to put in the power poles we now have.
TPGP has incurred more expense for the fee of the surveyor, but the expense has been very worthwhile. We still are in need for covering the attorney and, now, surveyor expenses so contributions are very much sought. Thanks to those of you who have contributed already.
The last point to make on the tree issue as it currently stands is a bit of suggestion: everyone go hunt up your mortgage survey and look for right of way and easement indicators.

URGENT:NEW DEVELOPMENT THREAT

The Foxhaven development in northeast Hendrick's County finally made it through the Hendrick's County Plan Commission on Tuesday (3/16/05) evening. (See Indy Star article, Thursday, 3/17, p. W1.) The development must pass one final hurdle, the Hendrick's County Commissioners. If successful, the development would place 385 medium-price homes in an area just west of the Marion County line and just north of 86th Street (Co. Rd. 1000 in Hendrick's Co.) The plan approved at Tuesday's meeting calls for what is effectively an impact fee of $900 per house to improve Hendrick's County Roads. You can be assured that not one dime of that will go to improve or maintain the Marion County roads those homeowners will commute over.

We need to make sure the Hendrick's County Commissioners understand that they should have no expectation of 86th Street ever being widened west of I-465, EVER! Widening 86th Street is not in the current Marion County 20-year Master Road Plan. But rest assured that Foxhaven will create huge pressures on Marion County to widen 86th Street, especially if that becomes a bargaining chip for Marion County in trying to extract a regional transportation tax from Hendrick's County. To avoid that from ever happening, we need to move now to stop Foxhaven! Please be prepared to respond on this issue, possibly in the form of attending a meeting of the Hendrick's County Commissioners. Stay tuned, this one is CRITICAL to Trader's Point!!! We'll keep you informed.

April 5 public meeting concerns 86th Street bridge

The Indianapolis Department of Public Works has scheduled a public meeting for Project #BM-01-018, the rehabilitation of the 86th Street bridge over Big Eagle Creek.

The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 5 at 5:30 p.m. at the Pike Township Government Center at 5665 Lafayette Road.

Participation at the public meeting is strongly encouraged by the DPW. More information is available from Margie Smith-Simmons, public information officer, at 327-4669.

Metzler Hopes Someone Else Buys Moore Rd. Property

Ross,

Thank you for leaving copies of your Traders Point information for the Pike School Board members. I read it with great interest when I got home from the Thursday board meeting.

I am a lifetime Pike Township resident and remember going to church at the old Traders Point Church of Christ on Lafayette Road when I was a small child. I specifically remember an elderly lady giving peppermint candy to children she saw.

The information presents me with a great deal of information that does certainly cloud my thought process as regard to the possible school oriented property uses. I would be relieved if someone else would buy the property so that it would not be a possibility to go in our inventory or if our about-to-be-completed demographic study does indeed show that more property will not be needed.

If we are found to need more property, based on the demographic study, I hope someone can show us a financially reasonable alternative to the 86th & Moore Road property. After looking for approximately four years, we do not know of any other comparable pieces of property that are available in Pike Township.

Thanks for the late night entertainment reading the enjoyable history lesson.

Sincerely,
Larry J. Metzler

Remarks not made to school board

Several of you have asked me to share the comments I was not allowed to make to the school board last night. It's benign stuff but in the spirit of spreading what I believe are our "distinctives" I offer my remarks:


My name is Ross Reller. I have been your neighbor in Pike for over 20 years. I am a customer with a son at Pike High School. Although not a historian, I owe my interest in Indiana history to an Earlham College education and to two years working at their museum, Conner Prairie, after graduation.

The History of Traders Point is rich, diverse and ongoing. Attached is a brief and incomplete chronological history of the Traders Point area.

Pike Township was platted in 1822. 8 land patents were sold that year totaling 880 acres. All of these patents were alongside Eagle Creek. (Between 38th Street and 86th Street). The first (and most significant) of these is where Lafayette Road crosses Eagle Creek. Lafayette Road was the first road through the township although it was not surveyed and constructed until 1831.

This first patent is historic because it was sold to William Conner, a Hamilton County trader, real estate speculator, and friend to the Indians. Conner established a trading post on the White River in Hamilton County. He either chose the Eagle Creek site to establish a trading post or because he knew it already was one. Moore Road and Lafayette Road appear to predate the platting of roads in 1822. They are neither straight nor parallel perhaps because they were Indian trails. (By the late 1800s Lafayette Road was a bustling state highway and Traders Point was a small town that would flood whenever Eagle Creek overflowed its banks.) Traders Point may be the most historic part of Pike Township.

Prior to and during the Great Depression, the Traders Point/Eagle Creek area attracted many of the city’s leaders of commerce and industry. They established hunting cabins, lodges and residences in the Eagle Creek area near the tiny town of Traders Point. Many of these have been preserved and are in good condition between Eagle Creek and Moore Road. There are a surprising number of historical figures from this Golden Age in our city’s history that lived or vacationed in the Traders Point area such as Merchant William H. Block, Industrialist Bowman Elder, civic leader William Fortune, Ad executive and author Guernsey Van Riper Jr., Photographer Noble Bretzman, and industrialist Andre Lacy that have direct descendants in the Traders Point/Moore Road area today. Mr. Eli Lilly bought and operated dairy farms and nurseries in the area during the Depression that would later form the nucleus for Eagle Creek Reservoir and Park.

The third generation of early 20th century businessman Bowman Elder resides on Moore Road and remains active in farming today. Heirs have the distinction of running both the oldest dairy in Marion County at Traders Point Farms on Moore Road south of 86th Street and one of the newest organic dairies in the United States on Moore Road north of 86th Street. Direct descendants of William Fortune, who founded the city’s first chamber of commerce, also own property in Pike Township and reside in the area.

In closing: The Traders Point area, unlike the more typical Indiana flat land near it, remains pastoral with very low density residential housing. The serene country landscape and the historic properties that remain are seldom found in such close proximity to a major metropolitan area. The winding country roads of Moore and Lafayette were probably once Indian trails.

Traders Point is a rare and unprotected gem of history nestled inside a concrete triangle of interstate highway.

The recent recognition by neighbors of the area’s rich history, and a desire to hold on to what is worth preserving, should be commended and encouraged.

School Board Mtg Update

The school board meeting was surreal. The board moved quickly down a list of a dozen or so items. Several of us chose to wait in the anteroom so as not to disturb the meeting. About 40 minutes after the meeting had been called to order a neighbor came out and said "we're on deck". We looked at each other and walked into the room in time to hear the president ask if there were any members of the audience who wished to speak "for the good of the cause". We heard her say that we would need to limit our comments to 3 minutes each (I had practiced my comments and was confident I could get my points across in 4 minutes and Dorothy Miller had reassured me that I would be fine). As we walked toward the podium, (me with my stack of prepared remarks ready to be handed out to the board so they could follow along), the president said, "hearing no one I pronounce the meeting closed", and her gavel pounded to the table with a thud. Puzzled by this breach of etiquette, our attorney. Mr. Greg Cafouros, approached the podium and introduced himself as counsel for Historic Traders Point Association and asked if we could speak. President Eilers said that it would not be legal for the meeting to proceed after it had been closed. An audience of puzzled spectators and neighbors ambled out of the room. A number of us remained, a bit stunned, and expressed our dismay to each other. I passed out to board members, and anyone else with an open hand, copies of my prepared remarks regarding the History of Traders Point, but it was over, for now. And one of my neighbors looked at me with a serious face and said, "this is war".

Greater Traders Point Meeting Summary(March 2, 2005)

The following is a summary prepared by Steven Jones about the meeting held on March 2, 2005, at the West 86th Street Clubhouse, concerning Greater Traders Point area-wide issues.

Subject: March 2nd meeting at West 86th Clubhouse
First, let me thank you for attending last week's meeting. Second, let me apologize for taking so long to get out this summary. This will be a very informal summary of the meeting. A lot has been happening, as I will explain, and I simply don't have time to provide a more complete summary right now. If you feel I have omitted something important, then please let me know.

In attendance were 27 people representing at least 9 different neighborhoods as well as the PTRA, Historic Landmarks Foundation, Historic Trader's Point. Also in attendance was our city-county councilor, Ike Randolph. The meeting began about 7 pm with Steve Jones asking representatives from each neighborhood to briefly explain their major concerns as well as their vision for how they would like to see the TP area develop. A discussion of these concerns ensued, followed by Ike Randolph's explanation of the political realities of Marion County and the affect on zoning decisions and land use. Susan Blair of the PTRA then explained that organization's role in the process. The beginnings of a plan of action were formulated in the latter part of the meeting.

Concerns and Discussion:
The comments and the discussion that followed clearly indicated that the overriding concern is the threat of both commercial development and high-density housing. The concern is that both would bring an increase in traffic and loss of the area's historic, park-like beauty. Areas of immediate concern are the Ropkey and Beeler farms to the immediate west of I-465, as well as the Gakstatter farm at 86th and Moore. The Gakstatter farm is of concern because the proposed middle school on this location would pose problems similar to those brought by commercial development. In addition, the middle school would compromise the movement to designate Moore Road as a Rural Historic Preservation District. Residents of West 86th also expressed concern about potential development to their north on the Madera Flower farm, although this area does not appear to be an immediate threat.

Other issues of concern include Lakeside's vulnerability to sediment from development to the north, the importance of Eagle Creek to central Indiana's water supply, and IPL's overly aggressive tree trimming policy. There was a brief discussion of the condition of Pike Schools, although the general consensus was that this is a larger issue, outside the scope of this group's influence.

Political Reality:
Susan Blair explained that the efforts of PTRA have been compromised by the MDC through both the Goldsmith and Peterson administrations. No consensus was reached as to whether the neighborhoods represented at the meeting should create a formal organization, although it was agreed that such a group could be proactive, whereas PTRA's role is to react to requests for zoning variances. Ike Randolph then explained that we could not expect this to change unless we as a community united to confront the MDC. Ike's words were, in fact, proven prophetic earlier this week in Franklin Township, where residents united to oppose a high-density apartment that had had been approved by the MDC, despite being an apparently clear violation of the land use plan. The case was appealed to the City-County Council where Ike spoke eloquently on behalf of the residents, and the council overturned the MDC by a vote 23 to 1! http://www.indystar.com/articles/5/227682-8805-103.html
So, in just one week, the political situation looks much brighter in regards to the MDC! That is, the City-County Council may overrule the MDC in cases where the public unites in mass opposition. This has renewed hopes of defeating the Davis Homes project at 59th, near Guion. The hearing on this case is March 16th. Additionally, the Pike School Board is being encouraged to consider this site in lieu of the Gakstatter farm.

Action Plan:
A group on Moore Road is already doing all that is possible to persuade the Pike School Board not to acquire the Gakstatter farm. In addition, attorney Greg Silver has been engaged to represent those concerned about IPL's trimming policy. Currently, Jacque Griffin and a few others are bearing this cost, alone, and they asked that others consider contributing to this cause given that it does affect the whole area.

In regards to the Ropkey/Beeler farms, the consensus was that we need to approach Kite, preemptively, with a plan for the property. This will require the services of a land planner and eventually an attorney. Steve Jones reported that Dr. John Ottensmann, of IUPUI's Urban Planning Institute, had suggested that a mixed-use, "Village of West Clay type" development on the Ropkey/Beeler farms might be attractive to the surrounding neighborhoods and still financially viable to Kite. Some support was expressed for this idea, although it was agreed that any high-density residential in such a project would have to be at the very high end of that market. The discussion then moved to how best to finance the planning and legal services required. There was some talk of asking each neighborhood to contribute based on the number of homes, although nothing definitive was decided. It was determined that the 9 neighborhoods represented accounted for about 818 homes, but only West 86h as compulsory homeowner's fees. As the March 2nd meeting broke up at about 9 pm, Steve Jones volunteered to approach John Ottensmann, of IUPUI, about identifying an appropriate planner and to send out an e-mail summarizing the meeting.

What's happened since last Wednesday?.
Discussions with John Ottensmann and a suggestion from Ike Randolph have resulted in identifying 2 planners. Both have impeccable credentials. One is a development planner, while the other is a city planner for a private design firm with good connections to the MPO. This city planner is a Pike resident who has volunteered to help us with the MPO and possibly the MDC. The development planner viewed the Ropkey/Beeler farms last Saturday morning with Jan Marshall and Steve Jones. He is very excited about what could be done on the property and has proposed a series of 3 drawings, spanning a range from what we might settle for to what we'd really like. The drawings would run about $500 each.

At this point, we need to reconvene our group (that met last Wednesday, March 2nd) as quickly as possible in order to help the planner define the above-mentioned range. I'm going to try to arrange a the meeting for 9 am this Saturday morning at the West 86th Clubhouse. I'll get back to you later today either to confirm or to propose an alternative time/date. At this follow-up meeting we can also discuss how best to finance these costs and whether we should formally organize the group.
Thanks!
Steve Jones
West 86th HOA, VP,

Issues updates

Pike School Board meetings

On March 3rd, Dorothy Miller made a request via telephone of Elaine Eilers, president of the school board. The information provided today by Ms. Eilers to Dorothy includes the following:

Meeting: March 10, 2005, 7 P.M. -- The demographic study is not ready. No demographic study or land use action by the board.

Meeting: March 24, 2005, 7 P.M. -- Demographic study should be ready for presentation and discussion.

Meeting: April 14, 2005, 7 P.M. -- Land purchase will probably be considered.

As of late this afternoon, the March 10th school board meeting agenda is now posted on the Pike School District's web site at www.pike.k12.in.us

It looks like we want to have a very large attendance of residents at the April 14th school board meeting. Given the information provided about the agenda items for the meetings on March 10th and 24th, it may not be as critical for residents to attend in large numbers at those meetings unless, like me, you care to the nth degree what happens to this land. So if that's true of everyone else, I'll be seeing you at the school board meeting this Thursday, March 10, 2005, at 7 P.M. We need to remain vigilant and committed for the preservation of our historic Traders Point area.

Related Zoning Issue

FYI: There is a zoning hearing on March 16, 2005, starting at 1 P.M., at the Marion County City-County Building, 2nd Floor, Public Assembly Room, where a property at 59th and Guion Road is to be considered for rezoning to D5 (high density houses capable of further adding to the population load on the Pike School District). The land is owned by Davis Homes and their earlier idea of putting condos on the property has been dropped now to try for rezoning for high density houses. The Traders Point residents would like to block such rezoning and persuade the school board to purchase this land for their school construction. If you have the time and inclination, presence at the zoning hearing in opposition to this rezoning request couldn't hurt our cause.

Trees - IPL

At the conclusion of the February 23rd meeting at the Creamery between residents, Councilman Randolph, Attorney Greg Silver, the city forestry representative, and the two IPL representatives, Councilman Randolph got IPL to agree to a cutting cessation while more meetings are convened between IPL and a smaller mediation group of residents and Mr. Silver. The mediation group members (comprised of Cindy and Jerry Baker, Jacque and Mike Griffin, Dr. Rob Huler, Carolyn Bryson, and MaryAnn Stevens) have formed ourselves into a group named, Traders Point Green Preservation (TeePeeGeePee). We have been meeting among ourselves formulating ideas to present to IPL for negotiating a permanent resolution to this tree cutting issue. The meeting with IPL and the mediation group is set for March 15th. Postings to the blog page will update the proceedings.

In the meantime, we need to raise funds for Mr. Silver's fees. Anyone wanting to show support for these efforts to prevent IPL from rendering the tree-filled, park-like beauty of our Traders Point area into something ordinary and dominated by power poles and pavement may contribute to our legal fees with a check made out to Traders Point Green Preservation and mailed to Jacque Griffin at 7153 West 86th St, Indianapolis, 46278. If you've noticed the tree markings on Moore Road and 86th Street, it is not just under the big transmission lines on 86th that trees are marked red for removal. Removal red markings are on trees along Moore indicating the far reaching aggressive tree removal action IPL wants to take.

Keep the Faith. Stay Informed. Through our unity in numbers, we have accomplished good things to date on our issues of the proposed school land purchase and the IPL-tree situation.

Thanks to Everyone for caring and participating in our united efforts to preserve Historic Traders Point.

Sincerely,
MaryAnn Stevens

Pike School Board Meeting Reminder

The next scheduled business meeting of the Pike Township Board of Education will be Thursday, March 10 at 7 p.m. It will be held at the Administrative Services Center, 6901 Zionsville Road.

An agenda for the meeting has not yet been posted.

Welcome to the blog

A few weeks ago, a small email list was started to keep residents living near the Traders Point area apprised of various pressing neighborhood issues. That list has grown rapidly and will become progressively more unwieldy as names continue to be added. As the list grows so does the volume of email; it's just a matter of time before the flow of information becomes overwhelming.

This blog is an attempt to manage that information. At least initially, a few individuals -- let's just call them "editors" -- will be in charge of generating posts to the blog. Any reader will be able to comment on the posts or on other comments.

Useful links will be available in the sidebar, as will the archives of past discussions.

Bear in mind that this forum is posted on the World Wide Web, and anyone who happens upon the URL will have the same access to the posts and archives as those of us who live in the neighborhood. This isn't meant to instill any paranoia, but to point out that this is essentially a public forum -- so don't convey any information that you wouldn't want to be common knowledge.

That said, welcome to the blog. I hope you find it useful!

If you have any suggestions, please direct them to webmaster@historictraderspoint.org .