thoughtful development that ensured the growth of the neighborhood reflected the vision residents had worked hard to create. She stated that over the past few months, the committee had engaged residents through meetings, informational outreach, and door-to-door conversations to listen to concerns and gather feedback. She stated that through those efforts they had gathered 48 signatures in support of the overlay including 39 directly from McKinley residents. She stated that they had also received letters, emails and additional expressions of support from people who care about McKinley. She stated that what stood out the most was that the residents in support were not asking to stop development, they were asking for a voice in the process. She stated that they wanted future development to be thoughtful, transparent, and considerate of the people who called McKinley their home. She stated that she believed strong neighborhoods were built when residents, businesses, developers, and city leaders worked together to communicate openly and honestly. She stated that the ordinance did not create unnecessary barriers, it created clear expectations with a framework for communication and collaboration. She stated that it created predictable expectations for developers and investors while ensuring that the character and long-term vision of McKinley were considered while new projects moved forward. She stated that she would respectfully ask for support of the overlay district as the ordinance represented the voice of residents and community stakeholders who want growth to happen thoughtfully, collaboratively, and with a shared vision for the future.

Bill Lett, with Elm Street Brewing appeared in support. He stated that he was part of the group that helped put this together. He stated that CRU Townhomes developed and it took a while to get those approvals, and that the homes were very nice. He stated that a proposed gas station was submitted across the street from the high school and a developer proposing to build new homes that were actually duplexes made them feel like they were losing control of the neighborhood. He stated that they felt they needed to try and get the overlay approved as quickly as possible so that all of the work they had put in was not destroyed. He stated that the Columbus Street project that the city did was great, but that the new developers were going to be placing houses so that as you drive along that street, you would be looking at the sides of the new homes. He stated that you would need 3 lots in order to place a new home in the area. He stated that they decided to move quickly on this overlay and that there were numerous overlay districts in the city that probably had similar issues.

Chad Ray, co-owner of CRU Construction and CRU Properties, developing the 7-unit townhomes across from Muncie Central appeared in support. He stated that the overlay request maintained the character of the neighborhood and laid out what good development looked like.

Rebekah Hanna, 20 year resident, realtor, and member of the committee appeared in support. She stated that “she had seen firsthand and professionally the drastic positive change in the neighborhood over the past few years. The overlay will protect the massive amount of public and private investment that has happened in the neighborhood and encourage quality development. A concern that people have with an overlay is that it may be too restrictive. This overlay, while it may have some restrictions, also is a common-sense approach to development tailored to the characteristics of the McKinley Neighborhood. I also believe that freedom is found in the restrictions of an overlay. The overlay protects both homeowners and developers. It protects their investment from future substandard developments and protects their property values when the time comes for resale. It also protects the architectural character of the neighborhood. An overlay provides people freedom to invest in their properties confidently knowing that the surrounding area will maintain its general character and be held to the quality standard that conforms with the look and feel of the neighborhood”.

Jerry Malone, 647 N. Jefferson Street, Muncie, Indiana, appeared in opposition. He stated that he would like to know how this would affect his taxes, parking, sidewalks, and streets. He stated that he had been in the neighborhood for over 40 years and that this was new information to him even though