Commission denies project to raze forest in Washington Township for million-dollar homes
(MIRROR INDY) — Dozens of Washington Township residents are celebrating after the Metropolitan Development Commission denied a rezoning proposal to build homes in the woods near Broadmoor Country Club.
The neighbors were concerned, because the developer would have razed more than a dozen acres of what could be some of the oldest trees in the city.
In a hearing March 19, the commission voted 5 to 0, with one recusal, to deny a petition by Broadmoor Investments LLC to rezone and clear about 13 acres of wooded land next to the historic Broadmoor Country Club in order to build 35 upscale homes.
“I think the commissioners made the right decision,” said Ellen Morley Matthews, who lives near the proposed development. “We’re not against them developing, but they need to respect and honor what is in place.”
Broadmoor Investments originally proposed a 43-lot subdivision that would have an entrance to the subdivision and the golf course along Knollton Road. Residents opposed that proposal and said the company provided little notice of its plans. The proposal was heard by the MDC hearing examiner in January and recommended for denial.
The company then pared down the plan to 35 homes and scrapped plans for the golf course entrance.
Broadmoor Investments’ attorney, Russell L. Brown of the Indianapolis-based law firm Clark, Quinn, Moses, Scott & Grahn LLP, told the commission that the development would provide housing options that do not exist in the city and would raise property values for existing homeowners.
Brown said lots were expected to cost between $250,000 and $400,000. The total price for a lot and a home in the development would range from $750,000 to more than $1.2 million. Homeowners in the new subdivision also would be required to be members of the Broadmoor Country Club or its social club.
But opponents of the petition, such as City-Councilor Brienne Delaney, said the density of the development, even in the latest proposal, was wrong for the neighborhood. Delaney, who represents that area, said the proposal would lead to the destruction of the landscape, drive away wildlife and erode the beauty of the neighborhood.
“Thoughtful, responsible development is essential for any growing community and our wonderful growing city, but it also must be done in a way that prioritizes sustainability, respects the environment and maintains the integrity of existing neighborhoods,” Delaney told the commission. “This proposal fails on those counts and should not move forward.”
Mirror Indy reached out to Broadmoor Investments via its attorney to find out whether it would file another rezoning proposal, but the company has not responded.
Morley Matthews expects the company to try rezoning again, but she hopes any new attempt involves more input from her community.
“I expect we’re going to have round two,” she said. “We would see that as an opportunity to have some dialogue about how they’re going to develop, and frankly, those of us who’ve lived here as long as we have might be able to contribute good ideas.”
Mirror Indy reporter Enrique Saenz covers west Indianapolis. Contact him at 317-983-4203 or enrique.saenz@mirrorindy.org. Follow him on Bluesky at @enriquesaenz.bsky.social.
