INDIANAPOLIS — Residents living in neighborhoods along Pleasant Run celebrated a yearlong effort to create a new community space as they unveiled new seating, fencing and sculpture at Spruce Street at Pleasant Run Parkway South Drive. The event was held Sunday, Oct. 13 and is the third beautification destination the neighborhood has created to bring connection to the waterway, quality-of-life for nearby neighbors, and improve habitats.
This celebration comes at the same time that the neighbors are also raising concerns about plans to reduce stream protections along Pleasant Run at the nearby Community Justice Campus (2950 Prospect St.). The City of Indianapolis has filed a variance to reduce its own requirements intended to improve water quality, preserve wildlife habitat, increase flood protection and enhance climate resilience. The city of Indianapolis has filed a variance to reduce stream protections on both the justice campus and adjacent commercial development.
The proposed variance, if approved, reduces the Stream Protection Corridor from the city ordinance-required 60 feet on both sides of the stream to just 20 feet. The city proposes to cut down mature trees along the waterway that provide critical pollution filtration for the stream to build roadways and parking facilities. The corridor protection requirement that applies to development near a waterway was passed in 2015 as part of the ReZone Indy development standards, using science-based information to determine conditions for healthy waterways and the spaces along them. Because degradation of Pleasant Run waterway is not a localized concern, neighborhoods all along Pleasant Run are engaging in this stand for adequate stream protection.
A new group called People for Pleasant Run (PFPR) made up of Prospect Falls, Twin Aire, Fountain Square, Fountain Square Alliance, Bates-Hendricks, Christian Park and Garfield Park, has formed to oppose the city’s variance and protect the Pleasant Run Waterway. PFPR community members and concerned neighborhoods are also asked to sign a PFPR petition, join its Facebook page, put out a yard sign, and contact their City-County Councilor. Community members are also encouraged to submit e-mails to the Department of Metropolitan Development (DMD) Planner overseeing the variance application (MDC Contact Information: Larry W. Calloway, DMD Planner, Larry.Calloway@indy.gov) and to attend the upcoming hearing on Thursday, Nov. 14 from 1-4 p.m. at 200 E. Washington St.