By Matthew Kent
The Carmel Board of Zoning Appeals will revisit multiple variances requested for a mixed-use redevelopment at 210 3rd Ave. SW next month after tabling the matter at its June 27 meeting.
The proposed $133 million project would redevelop the site of a former AT&T building at and two homes on Emerson Road behind it into a six-story mixed-use development. The project is being proposed by Pure Development, Buckingham Companies, Third Street Ventures and Merchants Bank.
The project is set to include 244 luxury apartments, an 80,000-square-foot Merchants Bank headquarters expansion, 37,000 square feet for a boutique headquarters (including Pure Development), a 433-space parking garage and two-single family homes that would replace existing homes at 449 Emerson Rd. and 451 Emerson Rd., both of which would be demolished.
The BZA was set to review nine variances tied to the project but tabled the matter at the request of Brian Tuohy, an attorney with Tuohy Bailey & Moore who is representing PST Land Holdings LLC and Pure Development Capital Inc.
In addition, Sergey Grechukhin, an attorney with the City of Carmel, said at the meeting that a BZA member indicated a potential conflict of interest and will recuse himself from consideration of the petition. Grechukhin also said that officials are exploring the possibility that a second BZA member has a conflict of interest.
City spokesman DanMcFeely identified Kent Broach as the commissioner recusing himself.
“Mr. Broach discovered on Monday that his employer has previously represented one of the petitioners involved with the AT&T site redevelopment on other, unrelated matters,” McFeely said. “Although Mr. Broach has not represented any of the petitioners himself, out of an abundance of caution and to ensure compliance with Indiana code, he made the decision to recuse himself from hearing the petition.”
The other commissioner, James Hawkins has determined he will not need to recuse himself from considering the manner.
“He was simply mistaken about the name of one of the petitioners for the AT&T site re-development immediately prior to the meeting on Monday,” McFeely said. “Upon further review, there is no conflict that would prevent Mr. Hawkins from hearing the petition.”
The BZA is set to consider the variances for the project at its July 25 meeting at Carmel City Hall.
