May 29, 2025 Plan Commission Hearing Officer

[A. Call to Order]

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EVERYONE. WELCOME TO THE PLAN COMMISSION HEARING OFFICER MEETING FOR THURSDAY, MAY 29TH. IT IS 11:00. WE WILL CALL THE

[D.1. Docket No. CRC PZ-2025- 00087 DP/ADLS - Republic Airways Hotel – Addition The applicant seeks design approval to construct a six-story, 60,930 square foot hotel ( 85 keys) with first floor retail as an addition to the 8-story/ 850 space parking garage. The site is located in the Meridian Corridor at 20 Brickyard Lane, Carmel, IN 46032. The property is zoned C2/Mixed Use. Filed by Alex Stephens of Kimley- Horn on behalf of the owner, Republic Airways, Inc. ]

>> HELLO, COMMISSION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WE ARE HERE FOR A CONTINUATION OF THIS INCREDIBLE PROJECT THAT IS HOME TO REPUBLIC AIRWAYS HEADQUARTERS AND A CAMPUS THEY ARE BUILDING HERE, AND THE FUTURE PHASES OF THIS WILL BE FUTURE HEADQUARTERS.

THIS PLANNING COMMISSION, THROUGH ITS HEARING OFFICER, HAS ALREADY LOOKED AT, AND REVIEWED, AND APPROVED THE REPUBLIC'S HEADQUARTERS, TRAINING CENTER, THE PREVIOUS VERSION -- OR, THE EARLIER, LET'S CALL IT, HOTEL, AND THIS IS NOW FOR THE GARAGE THAT IS PARTIALLY WRAPPED WITH ADDITIONAL REPUBLIC HOTEL ROOMS, BASICALLY, WITH GROUND-FLOOR RETAIL TO CONTINUE LIVENING UP THIS CAMPUS. I BELIEVE THIS IS A TRANSFORMATIONAL REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT THAT IS HAPPENING IN OUR CITY AND WE ARE SO THANKFUL TO HAVE A COMPANY LIKE REPUBLIC MAKE A HOME, HERE. SO, THIS CONNECTS TO THE CURRENT HEADQUARTERS, THIS ENLARGES THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT REPUBLIC CAN HAVE ON THE SITE. THOSE PEOPLE, BY THE WAY, NEED TO EAT SOMEWHERE, SO THEY GO AND SHOP AT OUR BUSINESSES AND EAT AT OUR RESTAURANTS, WHICH WE ALWAYS APPRECIATE. AND THIS IS THE CONTINUATION OF THAT KIND OF

MASTER PLAN PROJECT. >> THANK YOU. PETITIONER, WOULD YOU LIKE TO PRESENT SOME OF THE DETAILS TODAY? YOU CAN EITHER GO TO THE PODIUM, OR LEGAL COUNSEL MAY BE COMING IN, BUT WE DON'T

REALLY NEED THAT TODAY. >> IS THIS MIKE ON, THEN?

>> THERE WE GO. >> THANKS.

>> WELL, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME TODAY, WE APPRECIATE HOW MUCH SUPPORT WE HAVE HAD FROM RACHEL AND HENRY THROUGH THE PROCESS OF THE PREVIOUS PHASES AND OBVIOUSLY THIS PHASE, AS WELL.

WE HAVE GOTTEN SOME REALLY USEFUL FEEDBACK OVER THE COURSE OF THIS PROJECT, SO I WILL JUST GIVE YOU A QUICK OVERVIEW, BY VIRTUE OF THIS SLIDE DECK, HERE.

>> COULD YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF, PLEASE?

>> OH, I AM HAPPY TO DO THAT. THIS IS VERY FORMAL. PRESIDENT WITH THE DESIGN NEED ON BEHALF OF REPUBLIC FOR THE PROJECT. SO, WE ARE LOOKING AT THE WEST ELEVATION OF THE HOTEL EXPANSIONS, WE ARE SORT OF CALLING IT, WHICH IS ACROSS THE STREET FROM WHICH IS THE HEADQUARTERS, WHICH IS JUST BARELY NEAR-COMPLETE IN CONSTRUCTION, SO THE STREETSCAPE EXPERIENCES VERY INTENTIONAL, AN URBAN PLACE THAT FEELS CONNECTED TO THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT TO THE NORTH, AS HENRY MENTIONED, BUT REALLY BE HOME FOR A WHOLE BUNCH OF FOLKS THAT BOTH WORK AND TRAIN WITH REPUBLIC. ON THE GROUND LEVEL, YOU CAN SEE THE RETAIL OUTLETS, WE IMAGINE TWO OR THREE RETAIL TENANTS IN THE FUTURE. THAT IS IN THAT PORTION OF THE BUILDING. ABOVE THAT, IS FIVE FLOORS, HOTEL ROOMS, 85 KEYS IN TOTAL. PEOPLE WILL CHECK IN AT THE CURRENT HOTEL AND WALK ACROSS THE PLAZA AND THE STREET, AND INTO THE ENTRY THERE, YOU CAN SEE THERE ARE ELEVATORS TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE ROOMS. YOU CAN ALSO SEE A BRIDGE TO THE FAR LEFT. THAT BRIDGE IS THERE TODAY, IT WILL PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE HEADQUARTERS FROM THE GARAGE FLOOR, FOR EMPLOYEES THAT WILL BE USING THE HEADQUARTER BUILDING. WHAT IS EXISTING, IS TO THE RIGHT. SO, THE METAL PANEL WITH THE VARIANCES OF BLUE

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AND NOW, WE ARE LOOKING AT THE WESTIN NORTH ELEVATION OF THE GARAGE THERE WITH THE HOTEL TO THE RIGHT. THESE TWO TODAY, WHEN YOU GO OUT THERE, ARE BARE CONCRETE, ESSENTIALLY. SO, WHAT WE ARE DOING IS EXTENDING THE VOCABULARY OF THE HOTEL AND THE SOUTH ELEVATION OF THE GARAGE WITH A BRICK FIRST STORY AND THEN THE REMAINING STORIES ABOVE THAT IN METAL PANEL WITH OPENINGS THAT SORT OF SEPARATE THE TWO. WHAT YOU SEE EXTENDING AT LEVEL TWO ARE COVERED IN BLACK BRICK TO CREATE SOME RELIEF FROM THE TOP. AND THEN, WE HAVE THE NEXT FOUR LEVELS, IF YOU WILL, HAVE THESE OPENINGS TO LET THE GARAGE BREATHE, BUT ALSO TO HAVE THE EFFECT OF WINDOWS. AND THEN, THERE IS A CORNICE HAD, IF YOU WILL, THAT IS A LITTLE SUNSHADE IN TERMS OF ITS CONSTRUCTION, BUT IT PROVIDES THAT LITTLE CORNICE, AND THAT LAST LEVEL IS OPENINGS INTO THE GARAGE ABOVE THAT. SO, WE TRIED TO MAKE THIS FEEL LIKE A GARAGE BUT ALSO HAVE A SENSE OF SCALE AND CHARACTER THAT YOU WOULD EXPECT IN THIS KIND OF CAMPUS.

SO, AND THEN, ON THE RIGHT, YOU CAN SEE THE HOTEL EXTENDING AROUND TO THE NORTH. WE HAVE PICKED UP THE MOTIF OF THOSE COLORED METAL PANELS THERE TO KIND OF BOOKEND THE HOTEL ON

BOTH THE SOUTH AND THE NORTH. >> SO, THAT IS THE VIEW FROM

PENN? >> YES, DRIVING SOUTH ON PENN ESSENTIALLY AND THAT IS THE CAMPUS, AND LONG-TERM ESSENTIALLY, THAT WILL BE A SHARED DRIVE, IF YOU WILL, WITH THE DEVELOPMENT THAT IS TO THE NORTH. JUST SOME DETAILED SHOTS OF THE ACTUAL MATERIALS THEMSELVES SHOWING REAL PICTURES OF THE CAMPUS, AS IT IS TODAY. WE ARE MATCHING THE MATERIALS OF THE EXISTING HOTEL, SO WHEN YOU GO OUT THERE, YOU CAN REALLY VISUALIZE EXACTLY WHAT THE FINISH, AND WINDOW SIZES, AND TRIM, AND LEVEL OF DETAIL WILL MATCH THAT EXACTLY. AND THEN, THE METAL AND BRICK AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE UPPER HAND CORNER THERE, THAT IS THE BRICK AND THAT IS THE METAL PANEL WE WOULD EXTEND ON THE BALANCE OF THE GARAGE, WHICH THE TWO METALS ARE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT COLOR, AND INTENTIONALLY THERE IS A DARKER METAL THAT HAS LESS OF A SHEEN TO IT, WHERE THE HOTEL HAS LESS OF A SILVERSMITH COLOR, SO IT HAS MORE OF AN AEROSPACE FEEL TO IT. YEAH, WE CAN TALK THROUGH THESE, IF YOU WOULD LIKE. THESE ARE JUST FLAT ELEVATIONS OF THE RENDERINGS, WE HAVE REVIEWED, SOME THINGS THAT YOU CAN CALL OUT HERE, EACH OF THE STOREFRONT OPENINGS DOES HAVE A METAL CANOPY, AND IT HAS ALSO LOCATED FUTURE SIGNAGE THAT IS NOT PART OF PHASE ONE. OBVIOUSLY, THAT WILL COME AS WE BRING TENANTS ON BOARD. AND THERE IS NO SIGNAGE.

OTHER THAN THAT, THERE WILL BE NO SIGNS PART OF THE PUBLIC GARAGE, WHICH IS PART OF CARMEL STANDARDS. THIS IS JUST ADDITIONAL DETAILS OF ALL THE VARIATIONS THAT COME FROM THE GARAGE AND HOTEL. AND FROM A METRIC PERSPECTIVE, YOU CAN JUST TELL HERE FROM THE GROUND FLOOR, WE IMAGINE UP TO TWO TENANTS SOUTH AND PROBABLY JUST ONE TO THE NORTH, THEN THEY HAVE ALL OF THEIR SERVICE THAT RUNS THROUGH THE GARAGE, THEN OUT NORTH, THEN AN ENCLOSED TRASH ENCLOSURE BELOW THE BUILDING, SO THAT WOULD BE WHEELED OUT, AND SERVICE WOULD BE SITTING OUT ON SITE. SO, OTHER THAN A TRANSFORM, WE DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT, IF YOU WILL, AT THE GROUND LEVEL. MORE DETAIL AND MORE OF A TYPICAL FLOOR WITH 15 ROOMS ON THE FLOOR AND WE ARE USING A GARAGE FOR EGRESS, ADDING AN ADDITIONAL SET OF ELEVATORS THAT ARE CONNECTED TO JUST THE HOTEL ITSELF, AND

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HERE. >>

>> WE ARE USING REALLY GOOD SOIL. RIGHT, SOILS.

>> OUR SITE FEATURES PLAN, IS WHAT WE CALL THIS. I THINK THE IMPORTANT THING HERE IS GOING BACK TO THE STREET CHARACTER, THESE WERE ALL THINGS THAT WERE ENVISIONED INITIALLY FOR THE OVERALL PLAN OF THE AREA. WE HAVE MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS HERE OVER THE COURSE OF THE SUMMER, WORKING WITH ALL OF YOU TO ENSURE THAT THE SIDEWALKS OUT IN FRONT OF THIS RETAIL CAN SUPPORT OUTDOOR DINING, SO WE HAVE MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS, THERE. AND ALSO, STILL HAVE SOME STREET PARKING, JUST TO THE NORTH.

ALONG THE ENTRY DRIVE. BECAUSE WE ALREADY HAD KIND OF A WIDER SIDEWALK CONDITION, THERE. SO, WE FELT LIKE THAT WAS A GOOD

THING TO KEEP. >>

>> OH, SURE, YEAH. THE BALANCE OF THE SITE IS LANDSCAPED AT THE BASE OF THE GARAGE, PLANS AND LAWN, AND STREET TREES THAT ARE TO THE INSIDE FACE OF THE SIDEWALK. THAT WILL BE A NEWLY CONSTRUCTED SIDEWALK, THAT IS EIGHT OR 10 FEET WIDE. 10 FEET WIDE. AND IT COMES RIGHT UP TO THE CURB ALONG PENN AND THERE IS NO STREET PARKING CURRENTLY, OR PLANNED ALONG PENN, JUST BY VIRTUE OF THE TURNING RADIUS IS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, FOR COMING IN AND OUT OF THE CAMPUS. I THINK THERE IS A PLANTING PLAN WITH BASE PLANTING ALONG THE FLOOR OF THE GARAGE AND THAT WILL JUST PROVIDE CHARACTER TO THE BASE OF THE BUILDING AND ALSO SCREEN THE SURFACE AREA TO SOME DEGREE. AGAIN, THERE WILL BE MUCH OUT THERE OTHER THAN YOU CAN SEE THE TINY T IN THE BOX, WHICH IS THE TRANSFORMER THAT SERVES THE BUILDING. I THINK THAT PROBABLY GIVES AN OVERVIEW, UNLESS YOU HAVE -- CERTAINLY, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO HEAR COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS, NOW.

>> THANK YOU. SO, RACHEL, YOU HAVE BEEN WORKING HARD ON THE REVIEW ON THIS. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GO THROUGH THE

DEPARTMENT REPORT? >> YES, I CAN DO THAT. THANK YOU. RACHEL KIESLING, DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY SERVICES. LET'S SEE. SO, THIS IS THE DEPARTMENT REPORT. THIS IS, AS WE HAVE HEARD, A CONTINUATION OF THE LISTING EXISTING HOTEL THAT IS ON SITE. THE PROJECT STARTED WITH THE REPUBLIC TRAINING CENTER, AND THERE WAS ALREADY A HOTEL ON SITE. THEY ADDED TO THAT HOTEL BECAUSE THEY NEEDED NEW ROOMS. AND NOW, THROUGH THE ON-SITE AND ALL THE PEOPLE THEY HAVE, THEY NEED MORE ROOMS THAN THAT, SO THAT IS WHY THEY ARE PROPOSING TO BUILD ADDITIONAL HOTEL ROOMS ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE GARAGE. AS WE HAVE SEEN, IT COVERS OVER FIVE FLOORS, 85 ROOMS. IT WILL HAVE COMMERCIAL SPACES ON THE FIRST FLOOR. THE PARKING GARAGE IS ALREADY CONSTRUCTED, AS WE CAN SEE. IT PROVIDES 850 PARKING SPACES.

CHRIS HAS GONE OVER THE DESIGN OF THE BUILDING. AND IT WILL COMPLEMENT THE EXISTING ARCHITECTURE OF THE HOTEL AND THE HEADQUARTERS THAT IS COMING THROUGH. THEY HAVE ALL OF THE SIDEWALKS THAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO HAVE. WE WILL NEED TO WORK WITH YOU ON CHANGING THE SIDEWALK ALONG PENNSYLVANIA TO A WALK PATH, THAT IS PART OF THE THOROUGHFARE PLAN SO THAT IS ONE THING WE WILL WORK ON TOGETHER. THEY HAVE PROVIDED SHORT-TERM BIKE PARKING SPACES. WE HAVE ASKED ABOUT LONG TIME BIKE PARKING WITHIN THE GARAGE. LONG-TERM BIKE PARKING IS REQUIRED FOR THE HOTEL. WE WILL NEED I BELIEVE IT IS SIX SPACES, BASED ON THE NUMBER OF ROOMS FOR THIS PORTION OF THE HOTEL. AND THOSE SPACES COULD POTENTIALLY BE LOCATED IN THE GARAGE, OR THEY COULD BE LOCATED IN THE HOTEL, SO WE WILL WANT TO KEEP WORKING WITH YOU ON THAT. THE LIGHTING THEY ARE PROVIDING

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YOU. >> OKAY, THANK YOU. OKAY. SO, I GUESS I'VE GOT JUST A FEW QUESTIONS. AND FOR RACHEL, AS FAR AS DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE STILL AT STANDING WITH THEIR

FINAL OKAY, WHO IS LEFT? >> EVERYONE.

>> OKAY.

REVIEW ON PROJECT DOCS, SO WE STILL NEED ENGINEERING AND OUR DEPARTMENT REVIEW, PLANNING REVIEW FIRE -- I GUESS, WE HAVE

DARREN MENDHAM'S APPROVAL. >> SO, LANDSCAPING IS GOOD?

>> LANDSCAPING IS GOOD, BUT THE REST, WE STILL NEED. WHICH, I AM NOT CONCERNED THAT WE WON'T GET THERE, IT IS RELATIVELY SMALL

COMMENTS. >> IT IS DESIGNED, RIGHT?

>> YEAH. >> SO, THIS IS ADLS AND IT IS DP, BUT ALL OF THAT HAS BEEN APPROVED BEFORE, SO IT IS MORE

OF A FORMALITY. >> CORRECT.

>> AND THE BIG THING IS, WE DON'T HAVE CRC APPROVAL, YET.

>> YES, THAT IS THE BIGGEST ONE WE NEED.

>> THAT IS FORTHCOMING. FROM A DESIGN STANDPOINT, YOU ARE OKAY.

I MEAN, HOW DOES THIS COMPARE WITH WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY APPROVED WITH, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST HOTEL AND THE TRAINING

CENTER? >> I THINK THIS GOES RIGHT ALONG WITH IT. I THINK CONTINUING THE EXISTING HOTEL DESIGN OVER HERE MAKES ABSOLUTE SENSE. I LIKE HOW THEY INCLUDED THE USE OF THE BLUE PANELS. I THINK THAT WAS A REALLY NICE TOUCH, AND PROVIDED SOME COLOR AND INTEREST, AND TO BRING THAT AROUND TO THE NORTH SIDE OF THE HOTEL REALLY HELPS ELEVATE IT AND GIVE IT MORE CHARACTER, AND THEN THE CLADDING AROUND THE GARAGE, I THINK ALSO IT IS APPROPRIATE FOR THE DESIGN OF THE OVERALL SITE AND WILL BLEND IN SEAMLESSLY. SO, I AM GIVING MY APPROVAL.

>> OKAY, GREAT. >> OF THE DESIGN.

>> NOT TO -- JUST TO CUT IN HERE REALLY QUICK, TO PUT EVERYTHING ABOVE BOARD, COULD YOU SAY IT IS A PUBLIC HEARING AND ASKED FOR COMMENT, EVEN THOUGH I KNOW NO ONE IS HERE. BUT, SINCE THIS IS TECHNICALLY A PUBLIC HEARING, AND LEGAL PROBABLY WOULD WANT

THAT. SO, THANKS. >> THANKS, BRICK. IS THERE ANYONE HERE FROM THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OR AGAINST THE PROJECT? SEEING NONE, WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC

HEARING. THANK YOU. >> YEAH. SO, CHRIS, THE OUTSTANDING ISSUE WITH THE THOROUGHFARE PLAN COMPLIANCE AND

THE ASPHALT PATH, ALL GOOD? >> YES.

>> I THINK WE WILL NEED AN UPDATED PLAN TO SHOW LONG-TERM

BIKE PARKING? >> YEAH.

>> AND THAT WILL NEED TO BE SIGNED OFF BY DAVE LITTLEJHN. I KNOW THERE ARE PARAMETERS THAT GO ALONG WITH THAT. I DID HAVE A QUESTION -- AND I DON'T KNOW -- DO WE HAVE, LIKE, A STREET VIEW? CAN WE GET A STREET VIEW? I HAVE A GARAGE DETAILED QUESTION THAT I AM HOPING TO -- SO, ON THAT EAST -- YEAH, THAT PART, RIGHT THERE, THAT REVEAL, I KNOW THAT -- IS THERE A WAY THAT WE CAN GET, LIKE, KIND OF A BEAM THAT GIVES US THAT DIMENSION, THAT

SHADOW LINE? >> YEAH, WE WILL WANT TO TALK TO

OUR BUILDER TO UNDERSTAND. >> IT WOULD BE MORE COSMETIC, I

THINK. >> IT WOULD BE COSMETIC, JUST UNDERSTANDING HOW WE CAN DELVE INTO THE EXISTING AND FIND

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EXTEND THAT DETAIL, THERE. >> YEAH, THAT SHADOW LINE YOU SEE ON THE SOUTH SIDE, YOU KNOW, IS A NICE DETAIL, AND I THINK FOR CONSISTENCY, AND AS WE ALL STRIVE FOR FORESIGHT IN ARCHITECTURE, ALL OF THOSE LITTLE DETAILS MATTER. YEAH, IF YOU COULD LOOK INTO THAT, WE WOULD APPRECIATE THAT.

>> YEAH. >> WITH THAT BE BOTH THE EAST

SIDE AND THE WEST SIDE? >> SO, IT -- ON THAT --

>> I THINK IT MIGHT ACTUALLY, WE WILL LOOK AT THAT.

>> I MEAN, I WAS JUST LOOKING AT THAT USE ASIDE AND FROM THE

PUBLIC, RIGHT AWAY. >> YEAH. REALLY, I THINK THAT IS ALL THAT I HAD. SO, WE WILL GO AHEAD AND AS THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAS DELEGATED AUTHORITY WITH THE RULES PROCEDURE, FOR THE HEARING OFFICER TO APPROVE THIS PROJECT, TODAY, SEEMINGLY CONTINGENT ON GETTING THE SIGNOFF FROM THE CRC AT THEIR PUBLIC MEETING, TO GET THE UPDATED PLANS, THEY COMPLY WITH, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER OUTSTANDING ISSUES, AND THERE ARE ANY OTHER ISSUES WE NEED TO WORK THROUGH WITH THE PRIVATE DOCS, THAT CERTAINLY DIDN'T HOLD THINGS UP. SO, PROJECT IS APPROVED WITH THOSE CONDITIONS. ANY OTHER BUSINESS?

>> NONE. >> OKAY. THANKS, EVERYBODY, FOR COMING TODAY.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.