Two high-end restaurants could be coming to Greenwood’s far-southwest side if all goes as planned.
The Greenwood Advisory Plan Commission on Monday laid the foundation for a commercial project near the Barn at Bay Horse Inn, off Stones Crossing Road, during a debate-filled meeting that ended in a split vote.
Indianapolis-based Cunningham Restaurant Group wants to develop 6.5 acres of land northeast of Stones Crossing Road and Galena Drive. The developer is responsible for several well-known restaurants in the Midwest, including Bru Burger Bar, a restaurant with a growing number of locations in central Indiana, and Charbonos, an Avon steakhouse. It is unclear what restaurants are in the works in Greenwood. A spokesperson for Cunningham said they were not ready to comment on the project.
Preliminary plans call for three facilities to be built. The first would be a 4,800-square-foot building, the second would be a 6,000-square foot-building, and the last would be a 15,400-square foot building. The development would also include a 1.2-acre common area with a detention pond, according to city documents.
The property was chosen due to its proximity to State Road 135 and other major thoroughfares in the area, as well as its proximity to nearby commercial and multi-family developments.
The two smaller buildings would be standalone restaurants, while the third and largest building would be used for future retail development, said Greg Ilko, an engineer representing Cunningham.
The land, valued at $326,000, is owned by Amanda Cottingham, the owner of Barn at Bay Horse Inn, an event and wedding venue located immediately north of the proposed development. Cottingham and the developer came before the plan commission to request a rezone of the site to commercial medium from residential large, which would allow the plans to move forward.
More than 30 concerned residents attended the meeting, both in-person and virtually, to voice their support and opposition to the proposed rezone.
Greenwood resident Lynne Gish, whose property would border the development, told the commission she is not opposed to the development itself, but rather to it being 40 feet from her property line. She was also concerned about the effects it would have on drainage and property values, as well as how it would increase the amount of traffic and noise in the area — all things that other residents brought up during the meeting.
“As far as the design of the buildings, knowing Amanda (Cottingham), they’re going to be nice,” Gish said. “I just don’t want them next door to me.”
Colleen Goldman was one of two residents who spoke in favor of the development. Goldman, a realtor who lives nearby, said she has not seen any evidence it would have a negative impact on property values in the area, as other similar developments have not. Her colleague, Mark Clark, who has worked with the developer in the past, told the commission the development could possibly alleviate some traffic on State Road 135.
Resident Pamela Culler told the commission property values have gone up throughout the country, so talking about the values in the neighborhood is not really relevant to the issues the proposed development poses. Culler is mainly concerned about what would be developed after the restaurants.
“If this is approved, is that the domino effect on all the properties that are along Stones Crossing? That is my concern,” Culler said.
Ilko, who has represented Cottingham in the past, told the commission he gave a similar presentation back in 2018 regarding property values in the area. The 2018 presentation, like this one, said property values would increase, and they have. There are also not any plans for development east of the land.
Other residents told the commission excess water runoff would add water to nearby properties, and the proposed 40-foot-buffer was not enough. Residents were also concerned the restaurants would be noisy late into the evening.
The drainage patterns for the area would remain the same, and the restaurants would have typical hours. The restaurants would not be bars, but rather full-service restaurants that happen to serve beer, Ilko said.
The developer would also do its best to meet the city’s drainage ordinances. As for the drainage and stormwater issues, they will be addressed when the developer sends in its primary plat sometime in the near future, commission member Trent Pohlar said.
Commission member John Shell said he was concerned about putting a commercial development so close to a residential area. The audience cheered after that statement.
The commission voted 5-4 to give the rezone a favorable recommendation. Some in the audience booed. Others clapped.
The proposed development is not Cuttingham’s first attempt to commercialize the land.
In early 2018, she proposed rezoning the property to tourist use from residential under Greenwood’s development ordinance at the time. A three-story, 100-plus room hotel was planned to serve guests attending events at the Barn at Bay Horse Inn, along with other Greenwood visitors.
The proposal was met with concern by nearby residents who questioned the construction of a hotel in the area. The plan commission unanimously gave it an unfavorable recommendation at the time.
When the proposal was sent to the Greenwood City Council, the rezone was postponed and eventually withdrawn.
High-end restaurants on the city’s west side are a great idea, as the area is lacking a good high-end restaurant, Mayor Mark Myers said.
“Amanda Cottingham has been working really hard to do the right thing about the area. I’m excited for what she has done and what she is looking to do,” Myers said.
The proposed rezone will now go to the city council for consideration.
