Mayor Hogsett’s Operation Night Light Initiative

LivingInPike.com Posted on by

Looks like Pike Township is getting some new street lights…

From Mayor’s Neighborhood Advocate Kayla Wright;

As new streets lights are being installed under Mayor Hogsett’s Operation Night Light initiative, I want to keep you informed on the installations around your neighborhood. The following locations are receiving new street lights and anticipated to be installed within eight weeks:

• 2500-3500 block of W 62nd Street (7 new streetlights to be installed)
• 2200-3000 block of W 60th Street (7 new streetlights to be installed)
• 6200-7000 block of Coffman Rd (8 new streetlights to be installed)

2018 Pike Township Neighborhood Sales and Prices

LivingInPike.com Posted on by

I have just finished compiling the sales for each neighborhood in Pike. If you are curious as to how many properties have sold in your neighborhood in 2018 and what the average price was, click the link below. You can also compare 2014 property prices (scroll down).

Pike Neighborhood Prices

Would you like to know more about your neighborhood sales? Contact me at 317-319-9012 or tim@lordrealestategroup.com

From City Council Representative Leroy Robinson

LivingInPike.com Posted on by

Leroy Robinson represents the northern part of Pike Township. In his area, there has been a property at 8562 Lafayette Road that has been a challenge for the surrounding neighborhoods for the past 4 years. It seems that this property was zoned C4 which is commercial zoning. The owner of the Marathon gas station at 56th and Lafayette Road bought the property and was going to build a gas station there. The Traders Point neighbors spent time and energy trying to stop this from happening. They even built a website that details the ongoing events.

Leroy Robinson recently sent out an email with the following details;

Good day Friends,

Please see my notes from several meetings, regarding the development at the above address. With a collaborative effort, we did spend over two years opposing this development, including many hours testifying at several court hearings and the hiring of several attorneys. The property was subsequently sold to a new owner, who has moved forward with another version of the project.

Please review my notes and let me know if you have any additional questions.

Gas station at 8562 Lafayette Road:

· You will recall that the City was involved in litigation regarding this project.
· Specifically, a neighbor group appealed the issuance of an Improvement Location Permit for the construction of a gas station and convenience store.
· That litigation upheld the legality of the issuance of the Improvement Location Permit and allowed for the construction to proceed.
· The issue was then appealed to state court, after the lower court’s ruling.
· To the best of my knowledge, the City was not a party to any agreement regarding alcohol or tobacco sales or hours of operation and, as such, the City would have no legal basis for enforcing such an agreement.
· It would appear that the referenced agreement was a private agreement between the gas station developer and the neighborhood group and is a private matter between those parties.
· I have no information available to me regarding the name change and the City does not regulate the hours of operation for gas stations/convenience stores.
· The Assessor’s office lists the owner of the property as Star Ventures Real Estate, Inc. Information from the Secretary of State website regarding this entity is attached.
· They did agree to these hours:
· “We would agree for 2018 through 2023 that we will not be open after 12 midnight and we will not open before 5 AM. It is our plan to be open from 6 AM until 10 PM Monday through Saturday and from 8 AM to 9 PM on Sunday.”
· I don’t believe there is any restriction on them selling tobacco (and wasn’t for the previous developers).
· Regarding the Alcohol permit, they would have to apply for a new license.
· Based on the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission’s previous ruling, it is unlikely it would be successful. Even if they did apply, notice would have to be given and the residents would have the opportunity to appear before the board.
· I am unaware of what caused the Valero to Shell switch.

Thank you,

Leroy Robinson
Councillor: District 1
City-County Council
200 East Washington Street
Room T-241
Indianapolis, IN. 46204

Office: 317-327-4242
Fax: 317-327-4230
Cell: 317-502-0272

ToxDrop

LivingInPike.com Posted on by

Things were busy at the ToxDrop this morning. There were about 20 cars ahead of me and 20 cars behind me. It moved fast and seemed very efficient.

Dispose of unwanted and unused household hazardous waste on;
First Saturday of each month, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Traders Point Collection Facility
7550 N. Lafayette Rd.

ToxDrop services are only for residents of Marion County.

They collect;

Adhesives
Aerosol cans
Air fresheners
Ammonia
Bathroom cleaners
Brake fluid
Carpet cleaners
Chlorine bleach
Compact fluorescent light bulbs
Detergents
Electronics (find a list of acceptable electronics here)
Fire extinguishers
Floor wax
Fluorescent light tubes
Furniture polish
Gasoline
Glue
Herbicides
Insecticides
Lead-acid batteries
Lighter fluid
Elemental mercury
Moth crystals
Used cooking oil
Used motor oil
Oven cleaner
Paint
Paint stripper
Paint thinner
Pesticides Pool chemicals
Propane tanks (less than 20 lbs)
Rock salt
Stain removers
Thermostats
Thermometers
Wood stains
Wood varnishes

These items are not meant to be thrown in regular trash cans and dumpsters.

The Perfect Neighborhood

LivingInPike.com Posted on by

I get asked what is the perfect neighborhood in Pike Township. My first response is “define perfect”. “Perfect” can be so subjective. Are you looking for;

• Perfect value/price
• Perfect appreciation
• Perfect schools
• Perfect appearance
• Perfect age
• Perfect neighbors
• Perfect amenities
• Perfect floor plan
• Perfect crime rate
• Perfect drive time to work

I don’t think there is a house in Pike that can meet all the above criteria plus what you might have in mind.

Yes, there are a lot of great neighborhoods that meet a lot of the perfect criteria but unfortunately it is impossible to predict the future. Things change.

Here are 4 things that I have learned in the past 17 years;

• The neighborhood needs a nice-looking entrance sign. This tells me that the homeowners association is active and doing its job. My neighborhood just spent $20,000 on 3 new signs. All of a sudden a condo was sold 15K higher than ever before.

• Minimal cars on the streets and driveways. Years ago there was a neighborhood in Pike that was only 2 blocks long. I counted 94 cars in the streets and driveways. It was a challenge to drive down the street without hitting something. This is not good for fire trucks, ambulances, and school buses.

• Curb appearances need to be above average. Are lawns kept up and cut? Are bushes trimmed? Does it look like owners have pride of ownership? This will attract buyers. The only way a neighborhood will appreciate is through sales. With sales you have comparables. This is what appraisers use to price a house. Usually, they only look at sales in the past 6 months.

• Neighborhoods go through changes. What might look good today may change over the next 5 years. What makes it change? The people that live in the neighborhood. Are they paying their homeowner association dues? Is the Board of Directors following up? Is there enough money to maintain the common areas and amenities? These things are important to a neighborhood.

This is where I have an advantage. I have lived in Pike Township for the past 30 years. I have shown 100’s of houses in Pike Township and sold quite a few. I am familiar with most neighborhoods and know their sales histories and price points.

I may not be able to find you your perfect neighborhood, but I can probably come close.

A Zoning Nightmare

LivingInPike.com Posted on by

How would you like to come home after work one day and find out that a gas station is going to be built in the middle of your neighborhood?

Would you like to see a new house going up in the parking lot of a neighborhood shopping center?

Your neighbor just built a do it yourself addition to the side of their house and it extends to an inch of the property line. Is this reasonable?

Fortunately, the City of Indianapolis has zoning ordinances which prohibit these kinds of things. Zoning ordinances have been around for decades. There was a 625-page revision to the ordinances in 2015 and a 642-page revision in 2018. Revisions are made because of technology, traffic flow, environmental reasons, property value reasons (gives the city more property tax revenues), political climate, etc. Indy Rezone

As a Realtor, I was fortunate to find out about the Pike Township Residents Association (ptra.net) about 20 years ago. PTRA is an organization that hears presentations from builders, developers, homeowners, attorneys, etc. regarding zoning and zoning variances. The Board of Directors votes on the presentation. Although our vote is not binding, it weighs heavily with Indianapolis Zoning who makes the final decision.

I have seen hundreds of presentations asking for many types of zoning and zoning variances over the past 20 years. It has helped me see the numerous changes in Pike Township and how they came about. It is tremendous training for a Realtor. I was privy to information of new communities going into Pike usually a year or two in advance and how they might affect property values.
The meetings are open to the public. Neighbors are notified of zoning changes and variances if close by. It is interesting to hear their thoughts and concerns. Some are very well thought out.

Pike is very fortunate to have an organization like this. We are one of the few townships that do.

A Great Resource…

LivingInPike.com Posted on by

Pike Township Residents Association (PTRA) is a non-profit organization founded in 1972 that provides a forum for Pike Township neighbors to discuss regional and local neighborhood concerns such as land use, development, parks, and recreation, transportation, schools, drainage and sewage problems, water supply, area beautification, etc. PTRA serves as an umbrella organization for local neighborhood associations as well as serving the needs of individual residents and businesses. PTRA meets on the second Wednesday of each month at 7:00 PM at the Pike Township Government Center (5665 Lafayette Road) and this meeting is open to the public. (ptra.net)

It is a great time to meet PTRA Board members, the Mayor’s Neighborhood Advocate, City Council representatives, representatives from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and Prosecutor’s Office, special guests, etc.

Meeting agendas are posted a day or two before the meetings on the PTRA website.

The Cell Tower Jungle

LivingInPike.com Posted on by

I love technology. Before I was a Realtor, I was a computer programmer. I wrote business programs for a good size company in Park 100. I find that technology most always makes our lives easier.

One of the most popular changes in our lives was the invention of the portable cell phone. Over the years our cell phones do more and more things to make our lives easier.

With all new technology, there is a price to pay. With instant access to make a phone call anywhere, internet access, emailing and texting comes cell towers. Something that is required to have all of these conveniences.

You might say that is a small price to pay, until they want to put a cell tower in your neighborhood. That is exactly what happened at 6401 Zionsville Road. Two years ago a church bought and built on this 13 acre lot. The back end of this lot is a wooded area not usable by the church. The church had to get zoning to build on this lot. Pike Township Residents Association had several meetings where plans were spelled out, neighbors voiced their opinions and commitments were made by the church.

Now comes AT&T wanting to put up 150 foot cell tower in the east backend of the lot. They need a zoning variance in order to put up their cell tower and ground equipment. This would benefit the church because AT&T would pay them a good chunk of rent to use the space. Being a preachers kid, (yes, Rev. Lord) I understand that churches sometimes survive on a wing and a prayer. Being a Realtor I also understand how a cell tower inside or near a community can decrease property values.

At the Pike Township Residents Meeting on June 12th it was near standing room only. Many neighbors from surrounding communities were there to voice their “no cell tower” opinions. It was suggested maybe the cell tower could be put on Pike Schools property directly to the north. AT&T had already approached them and they said “No”. A PTRA Board member who had also worked for Pike Schools before he retired said “let me talk to them.”

At the PTRA July 10th meeting, this petition was on the agenda but was continued. It seems that they are still in discussions with Pike Schools about a place to put the cell tower. Most likely it will be on the August PTRA agenda. (ptra.net)

In my opinion, where ever they decide the best place for the cell tower will be, the City of Indy will approve it. That said, I am surprised that Northwestway Park is not loaded with cell towers. Maybe the City has no problem with approving cell tower locations except when it is their property.

Morning Madness

LivingInPike.com Posted on by

One of my least favorite ways of waking up in the morning is by barking dogs. At 6:00 AM when I look outside my window, I see my neighbor has tied up their two dogs on their open patio with them nowhere in sight. I find this to be most inconsiderate. Especially during the summer months when children are sleeping in and parents are enjoying their morning coffee.

The dogs are still out at 7:30 AM when I leave my house for work. Once they notice me walking to my car, the barking is continuous until I shut my car door.

I notice my same neighbors, when outside with their dogs, do not put one of their dogs on lease. They just let it lose roaming around.

On top of all of this, they don’t pick up their dogs poop. This is in a common area where children play ball. I am sure parents love when their kids come inside from playing tracking dog poop into their homes.

As a Realtor, these are things that buyers don’t like and sometimes won’t buy in a neighborhood because of these types of inconsiderations. Believe me, when I say in my 17 years selling houses, I have seen buyers hesitate for much less. Things like this tend to make buyers discount a house. This tends to make the community what I call a “discounted community.”

As a side note, I wish I had a nickel for every time I was showing buyers houses where we had to be EXTREMELY careful where we stepped while walking around the backyard of a dog owner’s house.

Ignorance of the law is no excuse. The City of Indianapolis Municipal Code 531 Article II spells out all the requirements for dog owners. It covers all my pet peeves listed above. (https://bit.ly/2LdOIrV)

I have nothing against dogs. I just think that dog ownership comes with civic responsibilities.