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Carmel residents urged city leaders to make room for more housing choices while warning them not to sacrifice the character and privacy of existing neighborhoods in the process.

Why it matters: The fast-growing suburb is nearly built out, and officials say its housing stock increasingly doesn't match the needs of the people who live there or desire to move there.

• Now, the city is examining whether its own zoning rules are limiting new development.

Driving the news: The Carmel Plan Commission held a public hearing Tuesday to gather feedback on the city's Unified Development Ordinance, zoning regulations and land development rules under Indiana House Enrolled Act 1001.

• The law requires municipalities to review their zoning and development regulations with the goal of increasing housing production.

By the numbers: Planning administrator and Carmel Housing Task Force member Adrienne Keeling said 76.8% of the city's land allows only single-family housing.

• About 70% of the city's housing stock is detached single-family homes. More than half have four or more bedrooms.
• But 35% of homes include someone aged 60 or older, while 19% are people living alone, meaning current options are a mismatch for Carmel’s growing share of empty nesters and single-person households.

What they're saying: Residents who provided feedback generally agreed that the city needs more choices, but differed on how and where to add them.

• An empty nester living in a four-bedroom house said older residents looking to downsize and young professionals struggle to find suitable housing in Carmel. He championed “gentle density,” as a way to add housing “without upsetting neighborhood character.”

Yes, but: Charles Demler, who has lived near Carmel's Arts & Design District since 1980, pointed to a six-story development near his home as a warning about the consequences of taller buildings and smaller setbacks.

• "My privacy is gone," Demler told commissioners, showing before-and-after photos of his backyard pool. "Think about (if) this is your house. How happy would you be?"

What's next

Yesterday's Indianapolis Metropolitan Development Commission meeting ended with loud applause and the unanimous approval of a moratorium on all new data center development in the city of Indianapolis.

Why it matters: Strong community pushback and demonstrations during previous public hearings are some of the key factors that contributed to the result.

Driving the news: The commission voted 6-0 in favor of language drafted earlier this month by the City-County Council to pause data projects through 2027.

• The amendment had the full support of Department of Metropolitan Development staff, who have been working since April to craft guidelines for such projects.
• This gives the city additional time to assess data center impacts alongside residents and industry experts to adopt permanent zoning regulations.

State of play: Most of Wednesday's discussion focused on the three data centers previously approved by the MDC.

• Commissioners sought clarity about the impact an approval would have on the forward motion of the Sabey data center in Decatur Township, the Metrobloks project in Martindale-Brightwood and the DC Blox development in Warren Township.
• Residents, meanwhile, wondered why the commission couldn’t retroactively apply the moratorium to those projects to stop them or bring them in line with future zoning rules.

How it works: Those projects will see no interruption with the moratorium in place.

• The approved language also doesn’t stop groups interested in projects targeting 2028 and beyond from engaging in discussions.

Go deeper

🌯 Bocado, the trendy Mexican-American fusion restaurant in Noblesville best known for boozy brunches, is coming to SoBro.

• It will take over the space at 46th Street and College Avenue that was recently vacated by Root & Bone. (Via Instagram)

💧 Rocky Ripple residents are pushing for an improved floodwall after finding weaknesses in the existing levee during last weekend's severe flooding. (WTHR)

🚁 Carmel employed National Guard helicopters to help install a dam at the site of the collapsed Hazel Dell Parkway bridge. The work has lowered the risk of a wastewater main breaking and sending sewage into floodwaters. (FOX59)

🎭 An $8 million renovation to the Athenaeum will boost the historic building's theater spaces. (IndyStar)

Meet the six creators and organizations being honored this week for moving the arts and culture needle in Indy.

The inspo: Since 1987, the Indy Arts Council ARTI award winners have been recognized during the council's Start With Art Celebration that launches the fall art, gallery and cultural season.

• It's sold out, but local art lovers are invited to donate. All gifts will be matched by the Efroymson Family Fund and support the work the Indy Arts Council does year-round.

Zoom in: Here are the 2026 ARTI Award Winners for each category:

• Artist/Activist: Alexa Adamson of Alley Cat Ceramics and Patina Gallery.
• Christel DeHaan Lifetime Achievement Award: Deborah Asante.
• Neighborhood Impact: Downtown Indy Alliance.
• Community Partnerships: Indy Indie Book Crawl.
• Cultural Entrepreneur: Epicurean Indy.
• Corporate Leadership: First Merchants.

School is back in full swing across the state and, in more cases than ever, desks are being filled by students without their required vaccinations.

The big picture: Vaccination rates among American kindergartners decreased last school year for all tracked vaccines, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported.

• Exemptions from getting one or more vaccines increased in 41 states and the District of Columbia, including Indiana.

Why it matters: The drop-off coincided with continued efforts by the Trump administration to make controversial vaccine policy changes and with measles cases hitting levels not seen in more than three decades.

Zoom in: Indiana requires elementary students to receive the hepatitis A and B, DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis), MMR, varicella and polio vaccines.

Yes, but: The state allows for medical and religious exemptions from those requirements — both of which have been climbing in recent years.

By the numbers: 3.8% of Hoosier kindergarteners received a vaccine exemption last year.

• According to the most recent CDC data, non-medical exemptions make up the vast majority of those.

Go deeper

Our picks:

👋 Arika is in Broad Ripple for Third Thursday, supporting flood relief efforts.

🌭 Justin is hoping to make one last trip to the state fairgrounds before all the amazing food is gone.