Neighbors Come Together on Development at 16th & Emerson

Our September neighborhood meeting set aside the usual agenda to focus on one issue: what’s next for the corner of 16th Street and Emerson Avenue?

On Tuesday, September 15, around 30 neighbors gathered in the Little Flower School cafeteria for a different kind of neighborhood meeting. Instead of our regular format, we devoted the evening to development at 16th and Emerson.

Because the corner touches several neighborhoods, we wanted to work through the issue together. Neighbors from Otterbein and other surrounding neighborhoods joined us, along with representatives from NESCO and City-County Councilor Jesse Brown. After introductions, NESCO President Chris Staab provided background on the site and its zoning. LFNA board member Bethany Baugh then facilitated an open discussion for the rest of the hour.

Where things stand

This summer, LFNA received a public hearing notice for case 2026-ZON-049, a request to rezone 0.8 acre at 5051 E. 16th Street from C-3 to C-4 for commercial use.

C-4 is the city’s Community-Regional Commercial district, which allows for larger-scale commercial development than C-3, or Neighborhood Commercial. As Chris explained, C-4 development also tends to be more oriented toward automobile traffic.

Most of the block is already zoned C-4, including seven of its nine parcels. The rezoning petition was continued once and later withdrawn.

But withdrawn doesn’t necessarily mean settled. Because C-4 zoning already covers most of the block, we’re working on the assumption that a gas station may still be proposed for the site. Rather than waiting for another petition to react, neighbors used the meeting to talk about what we would want to ask for if that happens.

What we’d ask for

Neighbors brainstormed a list of commitments to request if a new petition is filed:

• Entrance and exit patterns that direct traffic toward Emerson or Sherman and minimize impacts on nearby residential streets

• Fuel vapor valves placed as far as possible from neighboring businesses and the school

• Hours that end by 10 or 11 p.m. rather than overnight operation

• Reliable, well-directed lighting that limits light pollution

• Security staff on payroll

• Paraphernalia kept behind the counter

• Landscaping around the perimeter

• A “Blink” system allowing IMPD to monitor the site’s security cameras

• Sponsorship of the medians along Emerson Avenue

• Road maintenance and repair for Emerson Avenue, 16th Street and Elliott Avenue

These ideas are not a final agreement or formal list of conditions. They reflect the priorities neighbors raised during the discussion and give LFNA a starting point if another development petition comes forward.

New: Elliott Avenue vacation hearing October 14

At the meeting, we were still waiting for notice of a second filing involving Elliott Avenue behind the Shi-Kay. That notice has now arrived.

The Plat Committee of the Metropolitan Development Commission will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, October 14 at 1:00 p.m. in Room 260 of the City-County Building, 200 E. Washington St.

• Case: 2026-VAC-008

• Petitioners: Kahlon Holdings LLC and SCF RC Funding IV LLC, by Joseph Csikos

• Request: Vacation of a 12-foot-wide portion of the first north-south alley (Elliott Ave.) west of Emerson Avenue, running 271.76 feet from the south right-of-way of 16th Street to the north right-of-way of Elliott Avenue, with a waiver of the assessment of benefits

• Properties: 5055 E. 16th St.; 5042 Elliott Ave.; and 1504, 1510, 1514, 1520, 1524, 1532 and 1534 Emerson Ave.

In plain terms, a vacation would turn this portion of the public alley over to the adjoining property owners. This is Elliott Avenue behind the Shi-Kay, with Scecina on the other side, so what happens there matters not only to the surrounding neighborhood but also to school traffic.

How you can weigh in

An LFNA board member plans to attend the October 14 hearing, and LFNA is considering submitting a letter to the Metropolitan Development Commission beforehand.

If you’d like your thoughts included as LFNA considers its response, please email littleflowerneighborhood@gmail.com by Saturday, October 10.

You can also make your voice heard directly. Anyone may speak at the hearing, either for or against the petition. Written comments must be submitted before the hearing. We recommend sending letters of support or opposition to PlannerOnCall@Indy.Gov by Monday, October 12. If you submit your own comments, we’d appreciate receiving a copy at the LFNA email address as well.

Thank you to everyone who came out and contributed to the conversation, including our friends from Otterbein and other surrounding neighborhoods, NESCO and Councilor Jesse Brown. Special thanks to Chris Staab and Bethany Baugh for helping guide the discussion.

Development at 16th and Emerson affects more than one property or one neighborhood. We’ll continue sharing information as we learn more and creating opportunities for neighbors to be part of the conversation.