City Council Postpones Prop 148 - Waiting for Outcome of Airport Board Vote

This Friday, the Airport Authority Board will vote on whether to terminate the lawsuit they filed to stop off airport parking in Ameriplex.  Prop 148, a Council Resolution that urges them to do so, was postponed at last night's Council meeting, waiting to see exactly what Friday's decision is.

As I noted in my last entry, Prop 148 was initiated by Councillor Adamson and co-sponsored by the two district Councillors, Lutz and Holliday, as well as 10 other Councillors in a bipartisan show of support for Decatur Township.

In offering the motion to postpone, Adamson had a few thoughts to share, and I, for one, am glad he shared them.  I particularly thought it an important idea, that the Airport should consider reimbursing Mid-West Logistics, the owner of the ground in  Ameriplex where the Fast Park facility would be built, the $215,000 they spent fighting this frivolous lawsuit.

Here are Adamson's comments from the WTCY video of last night's meeting.

Judge's Ruling Clears Way for Fast Park Facility in Ameriplex

On August 29, Superior Court Judge Michael Keele ruled against the Indianapolis Airport Authority's lawsuit that claimed the Metropolitan Development Commission lacked the authority to modify the land use plan for Ameriplex.  This ruling was unequivocal, ceding no iota of the IAA's arguments as holding legal water.

I uploaded the opinions to Google Docs (here and here)

By ruling against the Airport, Judge Keele has cleared the way for the construction (FINALLY) of the Fast Park facility that was the basis of the MDC's decision way back in February (see "Yesterday's Zoning Case - Its About Far More Than a Parking Facility").

The Fast Park has seen it's entry into the Indianapolis market greeted with legal maneuvers against it by Airport parking facilities who simple did not want Fast Park's competition.  First, Indy Park Ride & Fly over in Plainfield, hired attorney Brian Tuohy to try to shut down Ameriplex's land use petitions filed with the MDC.  The MDC's approval, by an overwhelming vote of 6-2, should have been the end of it.  But, by this time Tuohy had landed a client with even deeper pockets - the Indianapolis Airport.  They filed this lawsuit in March and we finally have a decision, reaffirming the February decision of the MDC and its authority to render that decision.

This is great news for Decatur Township.  I outlined in a five part series how the Fast Park facility will provide us with property taxes outside of the TIF district that consumes most of Ameriplex and will divert tax revenues until at least 2023.  (see "The 800 Pound Gorilla - Indianapolis Airport", "Decatur Township", "Ameriplex", and "Fast Park Project")

It is also great news for those who think the Airport should not use its unlimited resource of other people's money to squelch competition.  Its not even like it's hurting for money and needs the parking revenues from its own operations (see "Mike Wells, Indy Airport Board President, Misled Press and Public on Airport Finances").

Ultimately, it is great news for central Indiana residents who can use another option when deciding where to park their cars when on a flight out of town.  Yelp reviews of the Fast Park operation, in other cities where it is located, give it an average of 4.5 stars out of 5 for 652 reviews.

And last but not least, it must be noted that the Fast Park & Relax facility will be green - with canopies over every parking spot to protect the cars as well as reduce the heat island effect and for solar panels to be affixed to the top.  They capture and use rain water for irrigating their landscaping.  They will have electric charging stations for folks with those kinds of cars.  And, they will help show the way for local businesses to adopt a green approach while still building a business that works.  For, if a parking facility can do it, everyone can.

Its been a long road to reach this victory.  But, we have.  Now, time to celebrate !!!

Fast Park Project - (Part 5 - More Than a Parking Facliity)

Finally I wind back to the proposed Fast Park & Relax project itself, and how it all ties in.  As I mentioned a few posts ago, this is not your typical parking lot that serves the flying public.  It is a very green project that leads the way for others to follow.

There will be canopies covering every parking space.  This alone protects the vehicles from snow in the winter and sun in the summer, providing a convenience for the owner.  From an environmental point of view, the canopies protect the land from the 'heat island effect', which raises ambient temperatures.  Nearly all lights will be suspended from the underside of these canopies, minimizing light spillage into the night sky and toward nearby homes.  Atop the canopies will be solar panels; the electricity generated will go to the operation.

Additionally, rainwater is recycled for use on the landscaping.  The master drainage for the area is already engineered and will accept the remaining water - as Indiana is graced with fairly dependable rainfall.  The landscaping will be 4 times the depth required by ordinance so as to make the facility as appealing as possible.

The shuttles run on alternative fuels and there will be electric charging stations in the future.

All of these things are good examples of how green a business can be when the owners value such things.  Perhaps the Airport, which is rightly proud of its LEED certification of the new terminal, could look these measures over to see which they might want to emulate in their parking lots.

This green approach is a good fit with the efforts Ameriplex has put forth over the years.

Also important is the fact that this project would be outside of the Airport/United TIF and would not seek tax abatements.  It is estimated that the project would generate about $450,000 per year in taxes.  That may not be much for downtown, but it certainly helps fill Decatur's bucket, which saw about $21 million in property tax collections from real property in 2011.  It helps soften the tax cap impact, as well, by slightly lowering the tax rates.

Not discussed here yet, but of great importance is how this project helps counteract some of the 'lack of rooftops' problem Decatur has.  By attracting vehicles to the site, they will import visitors to Decatur.  Already Ameriplex has seen interest in locating modest retail in the next block; gas station/convenience store and restaurants.  Again, anywhere else in the County, this would evoke considerable yawning.  But, here in Decatur it adds significantly to our amenities.  These amenities should help the Purdue Research Park attract more high tech startups - startups who are interested in what the area can offer their employees.  They also will help provide Decatur residents with more leisure options - options that are sorely lacking.

This is not the end of our transition from rural to suburban, but it will definitely help.  This facility is innovative in this market, and is an excellent fit with the strengths and challenges facing Decatur Township.  Our community was won over and we showed up to the MDC hearing as proof of that.  We are elated that so many Councillors stood with us and that the MDC approved the project.

To my readers, thanks for your indulgence as I laid all of these pieces of the puzzle out over these last few posts.  The stories of neighborhoods around the County are all unique, but we share themes.  Now you know better the prospective from which I view the issues we all face.

[ Yesterday's Zoning Case - It About Far More Than a ParkingFacility, The 800 Pound Gorilla,

Decatur Township, Ameriplex]

Ameriplex - (Part 4 - More than a Parking Facility)

Someone with far better business acumen than I should do a case study of Ameriplex.  The folks who run it have come up with some fantastic business models, only some of which have come to fruition.   Here is the view from where I sit.

I already mentioned ("The 800 Pound Gorilla - Indianapolis Airport") how the prime Interstate-70 frontage was taken from the Industrial Park before it even had legs under it, through the forced land swap with the Airport to ensure a 3rd runway for the exclusive use of FedEx.  The Airport would swap prime interstate frontage for land it purchased through its noise abatement program - some land already purchased and some waiting for the property owner to decide it was the right time for him or her to sell to the program.

The first interesting, to my eye, aspect of Ameriplex was its zoning.  How do you zone for a 1200 acre industrial park when you do not know exactly where the Feds will locate a key I-70 interchange that will lead the bulk of traffic to your site, nor the exact parcels that will ultimately be purchased and when they will become available.  For my fellow zoning geeks out there, the choice was a CS, where the first land use map was secured along with a process to move the lines between land uses through an administrative approval.  Land that Ameriplex actually owned was zoned and the expected full built out footprint was assigned conceptual land uses to guide future zonings as those parcels were actually acquired.  Flexibility had to be a component.  Not just the routine flexibility for future uses sought by many petitioners on smaller tracts of land, but the flexibility to move land uses once it was know exactly where key infrastructure would be located.

Ameriplex's first, and lasting, signature attribute was its environmental compatibility model.  The idea was to use native plantings that would require little use of fertilizers and lower ongoing maintenance.  The benefits would be a nice looking property along with lower costs for the land owners within the Park.  This was a bit of a bumpy road for the first few years as perennial wildflower plantings do take some time to overtake other 'native' plants that are considered mere weeds.  Ultimately a mix of native plantings and traditional mowed lawn yards prevailed.  Walking trails, a winding creek that runs through the north end of the Park, and deliberate preservation of existing woods, all help set Ameriplex slightly apart.  For their efforts on this front Ameriplex was awarded the first certification as a Wildlife-Friendly Development from the Indiana Wildlife Federation for "promoting the preservation, enhancement and restoration of wildlife habitat throughout the planning and construction process".

 The most exciting business model postulated by the Ameriplex folks (Chris Wilkes runs the Park and its development here in Indy, but his partners in the overall effort are Doug Hunt and John Phair who oversee their Industrial Parks elsewhere) was 70 West.  It was designed for the area closest to the I-70 / Amerplex Parkway interchange and utilized the I-70 frontage that Ameriplex was able to retain after the land swap with the Airport.  The idea was to locate big players in the 'destination retail' market.  These are retailers, whose customer base is not local rooftops measured in a mile or two radius, but those within a three hour travel time.  This would by the types of retail epitomized by Ikea, Bass Pro-Shop, and Cabela's.   The fit was excellent.  With the airport next door, that three hour travel time need not be by car.  For Decatur, it could attract the retail we need without us having to provide the rooftops.

The project needed State assistance, since the City was not going to help finance the project.  The destination retailers are used to regions vying for their business with incentives.  Ameriplex hoped to get the State to agree to an additional increment of sales tax just within the project to pay for the incentives.  It was not to be.  Decaturites tried to help, but we were not effective enough.  I remember being on the phone with Gordon Hendry, Mayor Peterson's economic development guy, as I headed to the hearing in the Statehouse.  Hendry was pulling the plug and Peterson's support for the project was not going to be expressed before the committee.  That is when Representative Phil Hinkle stepped in to aide our community - for which I am eternally grateful.  He threatened to kill legislation Peterson wanted on abandoned houses.  Peterson let the abandoned housing bill get killed rather than help us.  Just like this year with mass transit, if the local politicians don't pull the wagon, why should Legislators from the rest of the State vote for something exciting in Indy.

Fast forward to a couple of years ago, Purdue Foundation and Ameriplex got together to install a business incubator for cutting edge companies - the Purdue Research Park in Ameriplex.  The idea here was to locate the incubator facility in an area where the successfully incubated companies could spin out to nearby parcels, maintaining their relationships with the incubator staff.  This research lab concept to fully developed product Technology Park is very exciting for all of Indianapolis, but certainly fantastic as a vehicle to provide high tech jobs for Decatur residents.

Next time I'll talk about the proposed Fast Park & Relax facility that was the subject of the recent zoning and the focus of so much drama.  Hopefully the pieces are coming together as to how this project fits with the environmental stewardship efforts of Ameriplex, fills some of the needs for Decatur's taxbase outside of the TIF district and more.

[ Yesterday's Zoning Case - It About Far More Than a ParkingFacility, The 800 Pound Gorilla,

Decatur Township]

Yesterday's Zoning Case - Its About Far More Than a Parking Facility

Quite candidly, I have not been blogging for the past week because of the pending zoning hearing that was held yesterday for 2.5 - 3 hours.  It was all I wanted to talk about, but I did not want to jeopardize the ultimate outcome by posting.  That outcome was too important to my community.  But, now that it is over, I will lay out all of the strangeness that latched on to what should have been a dull and routine rezoning of 15 acres of land.  Readers of this blog will recognize that the themes that permeate this rezoning spectacle are exactly the themes I bring up all the time - TIF districts, taxes, government overreach, and public input into the decisions made by government.  I think once you hear the full extent of what culminated in yesterday's hearing, you will agree that liberal or conservative, there are things we can all agree are appropriate actions of government and things we can all agree are inappropriate.

I am going to break this up over several blog entries, as I do not want to rush through the important pieces of the puzzle, nor to I want to impose on my readers a thesis length single blog entry trying to cover it all.  For today, I will hit the peaks, then tomorrow and after I'll look at each mountain.

First of all, here are some links to excellent reporting by Mary Milz of Channel 13 and Anthony Schoettle of the IBJ.  I will also add a link to the WCTY, government channel, archive of yesterday's hearing once it is posted.

Second, I want to thank the Commissioners for siding with the community by a vote of 6-2.  I want to thank Councillors Jason Holiday (our district Councillor), Bob Lutz (whose district takes in the north side of the airport), and Zach Adamson (one of our At-Large Councillors) for taking the time to come downtown and speak out in support.  A thanks also goes to Councillors Steve Talley and Jeff Cardwell for sending in letters of support.  Last but not least, a stout and hardy thank you goes out to all of my fellow Decaturites and other supporters who attended the hearing.  Our butts may have become numb during the hours of the prolonged hearing, but the impact of visible community support cannot be overestimated.

So, here's the overview.

Ameriplex is a 1200 acre industrial park here in Decatur.  The airport and I-70 abut it to the north.  It extends in places to Kentucky Avenue with carve-outs of several abutting neighborhoods.  There are also hundreds of acres south of I-70 held by the airport for a future runway that make the outline of Ameriplex strangely angled on the northern perimeter as well. (I uploaded a land use map of the park to Google docs - click here).  The vast majority of the park and the vast majority of the current development is in the TIF district set up for the long gone United Maintenance deal at the airport.  This TIF district continues to be problematic for the Decatur community.

Ameriplex wanted to locate a park and fly facility on a 30 acre block within Ameriplex that was convenient to the traveling public at the first stoplight south of the I-70/Ameriplex Parkway interchange.  This area is also outside of the TIF district and there would be no tax abatement sought for the project.  Now, everyone I have talked to had the same reaction I did upon hearing this news.  "Oh, really?  I don't like that one bit".  But, once you listened to what was being proposed, you changed your mind (or 90% of the people did).

This was to be a Fast Park & Relax facility.  This is a family business with off-airport parking at a dozen airports around the Country.  They are not typical of this genre.  They are environmentally progressive - with canopies over every parking spot; lights hanging from the under side and solar panels atop.  They capture rainwater and reuse it on site.  They insist on ample landscaping and screening.  Their shuttles run on alternative energy.  This green approach is instructive in that it demonstrates that when something is important to you, not only can you make it work, you can build a thriving business at the same time.

The block chosen was of mixed zoning uses - half would allow the Fast Park and half would not.  So, Ameriplex sought the zoning change.

Enter the Plainfield Park Fly & Ride off-airport facility, otherwise called the "Indy Park Fly & Ride".  This is part of a network of 50 off-airport parking facilities around the Country.  They hired a lawyer to derail the zoning.

At the eleventh hour who enters but the 800 pound gorilla known as the Indianapolis International Airport, who decides that it does not like having another competitor for the parking business it runs.  Mayor Ballard agrees and joins them in their opposition.

All Marion County residents should be alarmed at what the Indy Airport is up to.  I have blogged on it before and I'll go into it again later, but the Airport, which touts itself as an economic engine, has morphed into a tax-free business entity whose business model will bring much harm to legitimate private sector development and competition.  In an ironic twist, by trying to kill off zoning for a private, reasonably located business enterprise on private property, they may have helped illuminate just what they really are now all about.

The hearing yesterday should have been about land use for 15 acres of a 1200 acre industrial park on the southwest corner of Marion County.  While that was noted, the hearing was really about whether or not a private company and a governmental unit should be allowed to keep out another private competitor simply because the did not want that competition eating into their bottom line.

The meeting was run quite well by Chairman Tim Ping.  Although he did not vote with us, he did allow all of the points to be thrown out onto the table.  The information did not flow in a linear fashion, but I do believe it all got out.

On the side trying to kill the project was the Airport, represented by Bob Duncan, former Attorney for the Airport as well as its former Executive Director, the Mayor's Office, represented by Mike Huber, Deputy Director for Economic Development (quite the misnomer yesterday), and Indy (really Plainfield) Park Ride & Fly, represented by attorney Brian Tuohy.  About a dozen Decatur residents  attended, who represent the 10% of the nearby homeowners opposed to the project.

On our side we had Ameriplex and Fast Park, represented by attorney Murray Clark, and the huge support of 5 Councillors (Holiday, Lutz, Adamson, Talley, and Cardwell) who provided an important counter balance to the weight of the Airport and Mayor's Office.  I'd guess about 45 or more Decaturites who support the project attended.  At least half were residents of the nearest neighborhood and they represented the 90% who live in the area and support the project.  Not insignificant to me, we had the support of the Decatur Township Civic Council and the Marion County Alliance of Neighborhood Associations.

The vote of the Commission was 6 - 2 to approve the rezoning.  That was a resounding affirmation that the Airport should not be able to limit private enterprise simply because the Airport would prefer not to have competition.  It was a fair result and an important result for Decatur Township.

More on the individual pieces of this story as the days go on.