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.