First of all I would like to thank you for signing this petition, as we have passed the impressive milestone of 1,000 signatures!

We proved that we do have strength in numbers! Despite statements you may have read or heard that we can't change anything, please rest assured that we can. We may have to fight for our rights, for our neighborhood, for our health, for the health and safety of our children and maybe our parents, however it should be easier when we are many. We got support from all over the country and even from all over the world, which is impressive, however the vast majority of signatures are local.

I would like to invite all of the residents of the Village of WestClay to attend the board meeting on Monday, July 6 at 7 PM. I suggest planning to arrive 15 minutes early, in order to occupy seats inside, maybe request to speak. It is possible that representatives of the press will be present and it would be nice if we can show up in numbers.

Please visit also the website created by our neighbors, keepourvillageclean.com as it should have the most up to date information about our action and the development. Also, please do sign up there for the newsletter.

Besides attending the board meeting or writing to the board, which is reserved for the members of the Village of WestClay owners' association, I would encourage everyone who lives in the area to write to the Carmel City Council.

We need as many people as possible to write a personal letter to the Carmel Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA), opposing the variance that is pending for this gas station and expressing opposition for the gas station in general as well. 

Emails can be addressed to Hon. James Brainard, Mayor of Carmel or to the Board of Zoning Appeals and sent to jshestak@carmel.in.gov with the subject either "Docket No. PZ-2020-00093-96 V:  Village of WestClay (VOWC) Gas Station" or simply "gas station 131st and towne".

The BZA meeting where this docket will be discussed has been moved, from July to August 24, 2020.

In the email, it would be ideal if you could challenge at least some of the statements submitted as "findings of fact" by Brenwick counsel (emphasis is ours, as they likely represent inaccurate statements):

FINDINGS OF FACT

1. The approval of the requested Variances will not be injurious to the public health, safety, morals and general welfare of the community as granting the Variance request will allow the Applicant to build a new convenience store with gas sales that will be more compatible, consistent and complimentary to the other commercial buildings that exist in the Peripheral Retail Area and which are subject to the same development standards. Further, the new building will meet the architectural standards of the applicable Building Guidelines and Requirements for Commercial Construction in a manner ( i) sensitive to surrounding residential properties ( ii) supported by surrounding owners and Village residents.

2. The use and value of the area adjacent to the property included in the variance will not be affected in a substantially adverse manner because: 

The use and value of the area adjacent to the real estate will not be affected in a substantially adverse manner because approval of the variance would permit the convenience store to the developed in a manner which is more sensitive to surrounding residential properties than a site layout which places the fuel pump islands along the south edge of the site. Further, all uses and properties to the north are commercial and have been developed within the Peripheral Retail Area in a manner consistent with application of the subject standards allowing development to continue in a consistent manner with surrounding blocks and uses.

3. The strict application of the terms of the Zoning Ordinance to the property will result in practical difficulties in the use of the property because:

Practical difficulties will result if the site is developed in a manner complying with the strict application of the development standards which are the subject of this variance request. The proposed building and site layout allow for the level of relief necessary to mitigate these practical difficulties and develop the site in a manner most conducive to customer safety, respect and sensitivity to surrounding residential properties and consistency with the surrounding Peripheral Retail Area.

Thank you,

Sebastian Zavoian

szavoian@keepvillageclean.com

(contact info in the directory as well)