Christkindlmarkt Update, the Group Home Ordinance, and More - 5/7/25
- Anita Joshi
- May 7
- 9 min read
Hello neighbors,
I enjoyed seeing so many of you at the Cherry Blossom Festival! It was terrific to foster the relationship between Carmel and our sister city, Kawachinagano, Osaka, Japan. Below you’ll find essential updates about CCI, the group home ordinance, and the North End Phase II development.
As always, you can watch the entire City Council meeting here.
CITY COUNCIL MEETING UPDATES
Recognition of Persons Who Wish to Address the council
Carmel Letter Carrier Greg Gormong alerted us about the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, an annual Letter Carrier effort that is the country’s largest single-day food drive. The timing of this event is crucial; it helps local pantries stay afloat before they get an influx of donations around the holidays. If you’d like to donate, use the bags you will find in your mailboxes and leave them in or next to your mailbox on May 10th. Learn more about Stamp Out Hunger by reading Mr. Gormong’s letter to Current.
David Stonehouse of Huntington Chase Homeowners’ Association expressed concern over the high property taxes assessed recently in his neighborhood. He said the taxes are causing financial hardship for retired neighbors and those close to retirement.
Nancy Tatum requested that the council work alongside the Planning Commission and the Zoning Board to adopt a plan to require developers to preserve 25% of trees and keep wetlands untouched.
Bob Carlson advocated for a TIF bond for North End Phase II where 27-year-old Ryan, Bob’s son with Down Syndrome, lives independently.
Jan Hurlbut spoke in favor of the previous CCI board and former CEO Maria Adele Rosenfeld and hopes people with relevant skill sets will be appointed to the new board.
Former Councilor Ron Carter had questions about Mayor Sue Finkham’s appointment of two deputy mayors as well as increased staff and salaries. We were unable to answer his questions as this particular forum is just a place for citizens to be heard, not a question and answer session.
Allie Missler supported the former CCI board and president. She said the market is vital because it is an economic engine, builds community, and is an important cultural event. She urged the city to be transparent with future budgets.
Rob Brown said that CCI should be thought of as a community asset, not a financial vehicle. He also wanted transparency in the search for a new CEO.
Ed Shaughnessey advocated for the council to investigate CCI.
Sandra Richardson, former CCI Vice President of Cultural Programs felt like the German cultural group in Carmel was silenced and hopes for a course correction in the transition from the independent market to the city-led market.
Maria Adele Rosenfeld, former CCI CEO, read parts of her resignation letter which said that she resigned because she was excluded from key discussions and meetings about the market.
Kirstin Kouka supported Sandra Richardson and backed a thorough review of CCI by talking to everyone involved in the market.
Mayoral Comments
Mayor Sue Finkham thanked those who participated in the visit of the Japanese delegation for the Cherry Blossom Festival.
Council Comments
Councilor Snyder told a personal story highlighting the need to examine our parking structures to support public safety.
When leaving the Cherry Blossom Festival, I offered Councilor Snyder a ride to his car. While stuck in the parking garage, we saw a police officer attending to an unresponsive young man. I was proud of the response of our officers and honored to be able to assist them in their resuscitation efforts. Our trained paramedics arrived, but when they did, there was not enough clearance for them to enter the garage with their ambulance and Councilor Snyder assisted in moving hanging signage out of the way to allow them in while I continued to assist the officers.
We are lucky that Carmel outfits all our police vehicles with AEDs and they were put to good use along with the best paramedic equipped including automatic compression devices on their ambulances. Councilor Snyder would like to examine how newer garage construction can ensure ambulance access.
Councilor Green thanked the mayor and staff for putting on the Home Place Block Party.
Land Use Committee Update
The Committee will be presenting Group Home and UDO amendments this evening and are discussing ordinances regarding parking fees and fee structures
Carmel Redevelopment Commission
Director Henry Mestetsky Expansion said that all projects were going smoothly including the expansion of the Monon and creation of Veterans Trail.
The Commission worked with local developer Old Town to put up a temporary parking lot with 90 new parking spots for summer because redevelopment projects have taken over street parking.
Affiliate Review Committee - Christkindlmarkt Update
Though this was a passionate and emotional conversation, I will try to portray it as accurately as I can. First and foremost, I want to confirm that the Christkindlmarkt is not going away and will continue to bring the Christmas spirit and celebrate German Culture in Carmel for the foreseeable future.
The members of council who serve on the Affiliate Review Committee expressed the view that the Committee has done as much as it can under the current structure. Councilors Minnar and Locke, who served on the Committee, along with the entirety of the council, have already spent too much time on the CCI issue while there are many other serious structural & financial issues in Carmel that deserve more of our attention.
I believe that the Mayor questioning the financial and organizational structure of the market has merit and am hopeful that a full investigation, that will include all 9 members of council, chaired by Councilor Locke, will answer every single question the city, the council, and the public have about Christkindlmarkt. Then, we can create a single document with all the facts and move forward to continue to grow and celebrate this fabulous Carmel asset in perpetuity.
This process was never meant to cause so much division and strife, it was simply part of a process to make sense of the city’s connections to various nonprofits, including All things Carmel and CCI, in an effort to be more transparent.
The market is not the problem. The people are not the problem. The problem is the process of creating and ensuring proper oversight, including selecting board members and financial reporting requirements. If we don’t figure this out, we will find ourselves in the same situation year after year with various organizations in the city. The investigation will take us one step forward to create an open, transparent system that ensures that the government works for all the people of Carmel.
I’m sorry that this got so ugly, but I’m excited to see you and yours at Christkindlmarkt this December, as well as at all the other wonderful events and festivals that make Carmel one of the best cities in the country to live in.
Old Business
Reading of Ordinance D-2762-25
Remains in Land Use & Special Studies Committee
This would establish 15-minute parking space or spaces at the beginning of each block along Main Street from Knoll Ct to 1st Ave SE, regulate parking on Range Line from Main Street to 1st Street, and remove inconsistencies and duplications of code.
Resolution CC-02-03-25-07
Approved
This amendment addresses the safety and security of Carmel citizens as it relates to group homes in residential areas.
Sergey Grechukhin, Plan Commission Legal Counsel, talked about the group home ordinance, which will introduce a licensure requirement for specific types of group homes for people with developmental disabilities and psychiatric disorders.
Group homes in certain districts will be limited to 8 unrelated persons.
There was a 300-foot distance requirement that they asked the council to soften to allow for exceptions.
Group home permits are granted for spans of 5 to 20 years, but the Land Use Committee wants to issue licenses for only 5 years, this is to ensure that a more frequent watchful eye is kept on some of our most vulnerable residents.
For more information about the group home ordinance, read my blog posts from February 3, March 5, and March 20.
Fourth Reading of Ordinance D-2767-25
Remains in Finance
This would amend the ordinance regulating the Ambulance Capital Fund.
Second Reading of Ordinance D-2769-25
Remains in Land Use
This would raise the fine for failing to display a valid permit for motor vehicle parking on a city sidewalk, multi-use path, or bicycle lane to increase compliance with the law.
Second Reading of Ordinance D-2770-25
Remains in Finance
This would require owners of residential rentals to obtain a permit before renting and it would limit the number of authorized residential dwelling permits to ten percent (10%) of all homes within any subdivision and the City of Carmel as a whole.
New Business
First Reading of Ordinance D-2771-25
Sent to Finance Committee
Would allow TIF bonds to be issued by the city to finance improvements of the North End Phase II Project, which Bob Carlson spoke about at the beginning of the meeting.
The North End Phase II includes
Market rate apartments
Attainable units
Apartments for people with disabilities
Senior housing
Farm-to-table Restaurant
Urban farm
Green space
Justin Moffett, founder of Old Town Design Group, stressed the benefits this development will have for Carmel and explained how it will fit in seamlessly with the rest of the city.
He explained the unique structure Old Town developed to make sure the project is financially sustainable.
Moffett said that senior housing in the project will free up housing units for younger families looking to buy in Carmel.
Henry Mestetsky informed us that once the project is completed, it will generate $463,000 in property taxes of which $67,000 will go to our schools.
Councilor Snyder wanted to ensure the greenspaces at North End will be all available to all Carmel residents, not just those living in the development.
Moffett said there is a clause that says if the green space isn’t being used as public space for 18 months, it will transfer to the city.
Old Town wants to have Carmel schools take field trips to urban farms.
Finally, Moffett said that the remaining trees in the area will stay where they are.
Resolution CC-05-05-25-01
Sent to Plan Commission
This resolution would amend Articles 2.20, 2.21, and 9.03 of the Carmel Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) to the Carmel Advisory Plan Commission for public hearing and recommendation to the City Council.
This resolution functions as a clean up for a number of items in the UDO
Sergey Grechukhin emphasized three aspects of the resolution:
1. Clearly separating the two different processes used for project standards and stating for which type of project each system will be used
2. Approves, supplements, and streamlines the UDO
In particular, it will add explanatory notes so the common person can understand
3. Introduces a deadline for technical review which will be 30 days from end of application
Ordinance D-27-72-25
Sent to Committee
This would adopt requirements for nonprofits that receive support from the city, which Mayor Finkham mentioned earlier in the meeting, that would begin operations in July.
Nonprofits that this covers will include “affiliate organizations” which are defined as:
A nonprofit organization where the city appoints the governing body
A nonprofit used by the city to directly or indirectly support donations
A nonprofit development corporation
Any nonprofit that receives at least $25,000 per year (not via grant) from the city
This nonprofit would also create a process for organizations that receive city grants.
As well as adding a budget review process
One member would have to be appointed by the council and the rest would have to be voted on by the council.
Samantha Karn, Corporation Counsel for the City of Carmel is concerned about separation of power and wants to avoid overreach
She thinks that it is possible that this is not within the council’s power
Events Around Carmel
Take a 2-mile bike ride with other families in the community at the Family Fun Ride on May 10 starting at Carmel Elementary School 101 S Richland Avenue. Registration starts at 8:30am and bikes head off at 9:30am.
Do you have bikes or bike accessories you’re looking to get rid of? Donate it to Freewheelin' Bike Collaboration to put it to good use! The team will be at Carmel City Hall One Civic Square on May 10 from 10:30am to 2pm.
Come to the Midtown Block Party on May 10 from 2pm to 6pm at Midtown Plaza 365 Monon Boulevard for a movie, music, games, food, and activities.
Join the United States Tennis Association at Midtown Plaza for a game of tennis and learn to train like an Olympian on May 17 from 1pm to 5pm at Midtown Plaza Carmel 365 Monon Boulevard.
Honor our fallen heroes at the annual Memorial Day Ceremony on May 23 from 9am to 10am at the Veterans Memorial Plaza Third Avenue SW, south of City Center Drive
Carmel isn’t Christkindlmarkt; it isn’t the Diwali celebration; it’s not the Cherry Blossom festival. It’s not the Monon, the Tarkington, or even the miles of roundabouts. Carmel is the people. It’s all of you. Though this process has been trying, I am confident we can work past it as long as we recognize the humanity in each other and commit to building a city that represents every one of us.
Caring for Carmel,
Dr. Anita Joshi
If you have a fifth grade Carmel student who would like to give the mayoral update at a council meeting next year please reach out to me and I will be happy to put your student's name forward.
As always if you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please reach out to me. I’m always here to listen and advocate for you. If you wish to review the details of our city meeting, the recording is available here, and the meeting agenda is available here! If you’d like to attend a City Council meeting, committee hearing, or other council events, please visit our website for the calendar!
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