Council pauses Backmeer Road rezoning after traffic and access concerns; vote confusion prompts recall

Council members on June 1 paused consideration of a rezoning request for 19.25 acres at 3430 Backmeer Road after extensive public comment and council questioning about access, traffic and drainage.

Planning staff presented Ordinance 25 (referred in materials as 252026), saying the request would rezone part of a 24.03-acre tract from Institutional to Multifamily Residential. The presentation described a preliminary plan with "nine four-unit condominiums and 21 duplex condominiums for a total of 30 structures containing 78 individually owned dwelling units," and planning staff concluded the rezoning was compatible with the Richmond 2025 comprehensive plan and climate action goals.

Gordon Moore, representing the developer and property owner, said utilities and stormwater controls would be provided and listed the required approvals (Richmond Sanitary District, Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Wayne County Drainage Board) and five alternatives for ingress and egress. Moore said the developer would complete a traffic study before final design and that multiple access options remained under consideration.

Neighbors and council members voiced concerns that the proposed access on Bachmeire Road could be unsafe: council members cited sight‑line and speed issues on the hill and called for a traffic study before final action. One council member moved to amend the ordinance to bar ingress/egress to Bachmeire; the meeting then saw competing motions and an unclear sequence of action. A motion to proceed with the ordinance was called for a vote and failed on roll call; afterward, the council made and seconded a motion to recall that vote and, by unanimous agreement, the body moved to hold the ordinance for further review and due diligence.

The plan commission had recommended approval 7–1 after a May 27 public hearing in which 59 adjacent properties were notified and several neighbors submitted comments opposing the petition, citing traffic, stormwater, ecological and quality‑of‑life concerns.

What happens next: the council asked staff and the developer to provide additional traffic analysis and drainage detail and to return for consideration after those items are addressed.