Carmel panel OKs stalled Conner Prairie expansion
Conner Prairie’s expansion into Carmel received a victory Tuesday night when members of the plan commission unanimously voted to send a positive recommendation of the project to the Carmel City Council.
The development's progress had stalled since it was first heard in October. The stamp of approval from the Plan Commission, after months of committee meetings on the project, likely gives Conner Prairie momentum heading into what could be several meetings before city council members to iron out project details.
As of a July 25 report by Carmel community services staff, the Conner Prairie project would include a farm-to-table restaurant, a White River Education Center, an eco-lodge boutique hotel, cabins, a modern farm and parking and walking trails. About 85% of the project is planned as open space, according to the report.
Major changes to the project over the course of plan commission committee meetings included reducing the number of hotel rooms and cabins and decreasing the percent of the property to be built on from 35% to 15%.
More: What you need to know about Conner Prairie's expansion
More: Conner Prairie plans 260-acre expansion in Carmel along White River. Not everyone on board
The property will also be home to a portion of the White River Greenway, which Carmel Clay Parks and Recreation is extending north to 146th Street. Conner Prairie representatives and Plan Commission members agreed Tuesday that the parks department would receive an easement for the greenway extension for free.
For the last three months, Carmel’s Plan Commission has met as a special committee to discuss the Conner Prairie expansion. The vote Tuesday night allowed Conner Prairie to skip over returning to the plan commission a second time and instead go straight to the city council.
Adam Aasen, the Carmel City Council representative on the Plan Commission, said at the meeting Tuesday that the Conner Prairie expansion has come a long way since it was first introduced.
“We want to keep the neighbors involved in this process when it comes to what they want to see from the view from their homes, what they want to see for traffic,” Aasen said. “And there's still a lot more work to be done.”
Conner Prairie filed plans with the city of Carmel in 2022 for the 260-acre expansion just west of the White River and south of 146th Street. The property is largely in a residential area and has drawn concerns from neighbors close to the project.
It’s not clear when the city council will hold the next meeting on the project.
Contact the reporter at 317-779-4468.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Carmel panel OKs stalled Conner Prairie expansion
