The Sunday Post - September 20, 2026: Dutch Bros Approved, Four Councilors and One Plan, and Deadlines That Matter
A weekly report from Councilor Michael-Paul Hart — Building the Smartest City in America.
Volume 2, Issue 38
Dutch Bros Is Approved!
Two weeks ago I asked you to write letters supporting the proposed Dutch Bros at 10220 East Washington. On Tuesday the Board of Zoning Appeals approved it.
I want to be clear about what that took, because it is not a small thing. This same board denied Dutch Bros a similar variance in November 2024. The site sits on the stretch of East Washington that IndyGo is building into a rapid transit corridor, which brings transit oriented development standards with it, and the earlier proposal did not meet them. It has taken two years to get here.
What changed is that the applicant made real concessions, including wider sidewalks, and the opposition came to a formal agreement before the vote. Nobody got run over. The project got better and then it got approved.
Your letters are part of why. When residents write in, those letters go into the record, and the record is what the board weighs. That is the entire reason I asked.
The Indianapolis Star covered the decision this week, and I have posted the clip of my remarks at the hearing above.
The old Golden Corral site on East Washington is a step closer to becoming multiple businesses that employs people and service the community. That is a good week.
Three Things I Am Still Working On
Not everything wraps up neatly. Here is the honest status on three things a lot of you have asked about.
The hum. Reports keep coming in, and they keep getting more specific. One new cluster is on
Hoyt Avenue between Temperance and Kingsbridge. Residents are sending video. Councilor Andy Nielsen is now engaged on it with me, since this crosses into his district, and we have passed everything along to the City. What I am hearing from residents this week is that people are filing reports through the Mayor's Action Center and not getting a response back. We are still waiting on the City to get someone out there during the overnight hours when the problem actually happens. I am going to keep pressing until that happens.
The abandoned house on Washington Street. I spoke with the Fire Marshal this week. They have begun the process of inspection and condemnation. They were also straight with me that this is a long process and that it requires cooperation from the property owners. I would rather tell you that than pretend it is moving faster than it is.
The camps behind Hobby Lobby. Homeless camps in that area have ticked up again. I met with business owners and with the City this week because I want this addressed before it reaches the level it did last year. I have been told the IMPD homeless unit will be out there next week. This is not about pushing people out of sight. It is about connecting people to services early, when it is still possible to help, instead of waiting until it becomes a crisis for everyone involved.
The Far Eastside Plan Needs Wins on the Board
This week I sat down with LISC Indianapolis and three of my colleagues, Councilors Andy
Nielsen, Rena Allen and Keith Graves, about the Far Eastside Quality of Life Plan.
Four councilors from different districts and different parties, in one room, working one plan for one part of this city. That does not happen as often as it should, and it is worth noting.
The plan itself was published this year, built by the Community Alliance of the Far Eastside, LISC and the Far Eastside Community Council, with residents doing the work alongside them. I took part in the Future Lab sessions that helped shape it. It is organized around five focus areas: housing affordability and growth, financial stability and economic opportunity, safe and healthy environments, multigenerational power, and art, culture and belonging.
Now comes the hard part. A plan is a document until it produces something people can see. The next step has to be actionable wins.
I brought two ideas to that meeting.
First, a developer open house for the east side. Bring in commercial real estate, developers, architects and site selectors, put specific sites and specific parts of the east side in front of them, and make the ask directly. Right now we wait for investment to find us. Places that grow go get it. There is no reason we cannot run the same play here.
Second, a positive marketing campaign for the east side. We have a real perception problem, and it is out of date. Saraga is coming. Dutch Bros is approved. The Washington Square vision plan exists. Two billion dollars is going into the old industrial ground. Almost nobody outside our neighborhoods knows any of that. If we do not tell that story, the only story people hear is the one from fifteen years ago.
Good plans fail when nothing visible happens in the first year. I would rather we put points on the board early.
Two Dates Worth Putting on Your Calendar
The Greenways Plan. The City is taking public comment on its Greenways Strategic Implementation Plan through October 15. This is the citywide trail plan, and it is the right place for exactly the kind of connection requests I have been getting on East Washington. If you want a trail near you, comment on this plan. That is where those decisions are actually made.
The Land Use Plan. The Marion County Land Use Plan Update sets the recommended future use for every area of the city, and it will be approved on October 21. This is the document the City points to when it supports or opposes a future project on your block. You can look up what is being recommended for your own neighborhood right now.
I spent a lot of last week explaining how land use decisions get made. These documents are where those decisions actually get set. A comment now is worth more than an objection later.
If you want to weigh in can review the proposed Land Use Plan updates and submit feedback through the City’s online Konveio tool at Indy.konveio.com. They can also provide public comment directly to the Metropolitan Development Commission during the public hearing.
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See you next week with more updates from the Neighborhood.
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