over time development by development, not reinforce for the next generation. Futhermore, it is unclear from the drawings if there is a fenced enclosure for this storage facility” which has been made clear during this meeting. “We want to voice that we are weary of the look and feel of fences along Madison Street and especially of looking at and cleaning up the debris that collects in them. This has been the work of our volunteer labor for over a decade and we hope that the city will use its influence to ensure that there are no additional fences along our main corridors, which storage facilities often deem necessary. At Minimum we request that the Muncie Housing Authority abide by the City of Muncie’s development and corridor standards however, we would prefer to work together as neighbors to envision new attractive possibilities for Madison Street that builds community. Storage facilities, even those made more palatable by trees and shrubs are not inviting spaces by design and do not support the kind of neighborhood life we envision in our part of town. We request that the Housing Authority find a more appropriate and preferably existing location for storage of lawn equipment rather than building new on this green space at 9^th and Madison. If that is truly impossible, the plan of least harm in our view would involve planting full size trees and abiding by the corridor standards. Thank you for your thoughtful consideration in this matter. We are a collaborative and are happy to meet together to address any concerns that people have”. She stated that the letter was signed by herself as President, Nicole Smith Secretary, Tiffany Turner Treasurer, Napoleon Price, Kylie Tremaine, and Donnie Young, all Board members.

Ms. Mathewson asked if they had any discussion as the uniqueness of the property due to the low level of the power lines and the existing gas line.

Ms. McCroy stated that they had their meeting on Tuesday evening so there was not a lot of time for discussion. She stated that they do understand the power lines, but it was not necessary to have no trees.

Ms. Mathewson stated for clarification the request was for a variance from the corridor standards for the landscaping and plantings. She stated that the applicant had a right under the zoning to place a storage unit on this property, so that was not the request before this board.

Kylie Tremaine, Board Member of the South Central Neighborhood Association and a Habitat for Humanity homeowner, living near this proposed site, appeared in opposition. She stated that as a property owner paying taxes, this land was deeply personal to her. She stated there was a long history of things being taken away or built against the residents wishes under promises that never come true. She stated that this Board did not make those past decisions, but that they had the power tonight to stop that cycle and asked the Board to vote no on this request. She stated that an industrial storage facility in the neighborhood was not responsible and pulled the area backwards.

Ms. Vannice stated that she had a site plan and felt it was important for the audience to see the rendering of the building which was half stone, not all metal. She stated that under different boards, she was under the understanding that if the planting did not fall within that 10’ buffer yard, it did not count so that was why they did not include those plantings. She stated that she may be misunderstanding the Ordinance but it was her understanding that the plantings needed to be in the buffer yard to count towards the requirements.

Ms. Swackhamer stated if they would have been included in a different location, they would have still needed the variance because they would not have counted.