On September 26th, a crowd that gathered at the Dean Evans Center (WTSC) on Woodfield Crossing and 86^th Street to discuss the future of the Nora community. NORA 2021 is community-led planning focused on Nora’s future. The morning’s speaker, acting Director of City Planning, Brad Beaubien, was the perfect set-up to the larger conversation of how we as a collective community can influence and shape the future of Nora (view Brad’s presentation).

Nora Community Priorities Survey

The second half of the meeting participants provided fast-paced input to a community Liabilities, Assets, Needs and Desires (LAND) assessment. That input will feed the planning process and is provided below.

We want to know your priorities! Please click the button below and provide YOUR FEEDBACK (a brief survey of 4 questions).

THIS SURVEY IS NOW CLOSED. VIEW THE RESULTS.

Summary and Tally of All Responses

We collected and recorded every comment submitted on colored index cards during our group exercise, a Liabilities, Assets, Needs and Desires (LAND) analysis. On the asset side of the ledger, many comments revolved around the great neighborhoods and the amenity of the Monon Trail. On a related note, many of the desires centered on connecting those neighborhoods in a safe manner to one another and to the trail and capitalizing on the trail with more focused, ‘trail-oriented’ development as seen in some recent projects.

L.A.N.D. (summary)

Liabilities -weaknesses within the community, and within the context of the City and region, that we should remain aware of and mitigate as possible
86th (and Westfield, College at times) clogged, unsafe
Aging and subpar apartment stock.
Weak sense of community across cultural, generational lines
Limited pedestrian-friendly areas
Lack of an understood ‘center’ or ‘focus’
History of favor toward strip mall format of development
Lack of identity
Lack of control or input over development
Poor infrastructure: sewers, streets, noise abatement, streetlights, street, street services

Assets – the individuals, associations, and institutions in our community, as well as its physical characteristics–the land, buildings and infrastructure upon which the community rests
Monon Trail
St. Vincent Hospital, IU North: proximity
465 proximity and accessibility by car to highway system
Target (not Walmart)
Jordan Y, FBA Athletics, et al.
Cultural, generational diversity
Washington Township Schools
Neighborhood character defined by mature trees
Shopping nearby; grocery choices
Library branch

Needs – gaps in our human capital, as well as the physical the land, buildings and infrastructure upon which the community rests.
Identity, branding, placemaking
Walkable streets, crosswalks and parking lots
Traffic calming
Center or focus of village
Access to Monon from neighborhoods/Connectivity
Developers who will maintain, build value
Public areas, parks
Efficient alternate transportation options
Basic services: noise, sewers, streetlights. Attention from city
Integration of diverse population into fabric of community life

Desires – our aspirations as individuals, associations and institutions in our community. A positive statement of things you envision for your community.
Safe, efficient connections to Monon Trail; especially 91st St.
Improved infrastructure: sound(465), sewer, streets and sidewalks.
Public gathering place or center
Passable 86th St for foot and bike traffic
Improved transportation options
Reimagined retail – less strip, chain-based stand-alones (switch: form-based code)
Big, identifiable Nora event
Strong, positive, open neighborhood groups
Parks, preservation, conservation
Strong identity as a place of Indy’s future

Liabilities (all comments)

Car-centric design of Keystone Crossing. Keystone Ave “wall” only passable by car.
Limited interaction between the diversity that exists. (Overwhelmingly caucasian at community meetings).
Public transit could be more integrated into landscape.
Slim on public park land.
Nora Elementary
Lack of proactive planning
Traffic on 86th St.
Lack of specialty shops
Too many fast food joints
Not walkable enough
Fire hydrants
Long term residents
Elementary school not as desirable as it was at one time
Crowed streets: 86th, Westfield
Large number of apartments, not desirable for home values
Too many apartments, some of which are not well maintained
9 large complexes between Westfield and College (91st to 96th)
Hurting schools
No type of housing like zero lot lines i.e. Walden Pond at 99th St. and Westfield
Lack of sidewalks
Not enough parkland, greenspace
Interstate noise
traffic on 86th St.
traffic on Westfield, 91st
real sense of community is lacking
conflict in development and building plans between city and residents
lack of sidewalks
lack of city services: water, sewer, street lights
poor traffic planning, streets, signals
noise from interstate
walkability – sidewalks
traffic
schools, tipped over to
lack of alternative transportation options
traffic
sidewalks
identity
negative & ignorant attitudes toward immigrants, refugees (reference: many success stories)
traffic
lack of sidewalks, bikability, walkabiltiy
ineffective public transit
community center/focus
lack of sidewalks
mobility issues
traffic
lack of center
sidewalks
walkability and bikability
transit
parks
traffic on 86th St.
strip mall format
crosswalks on 86th
lack of ability to direct the form of commercial development
lack of identity
lack of physical space
lack recognition
lack of ped infrastructure
too much rental density, too little home density
lack of leadership
town council?
no one to engage city, developers
growth limitations due to age, size
traffic limitations
population demographics
strip mall aspect
declining school performance
increasing crime
no sidewalks
traffic
glut of apartments
traffic
condition of roads, streets
run down apartments
No center attraction other than a strip mall
No parks
sidewalks
few sidewalks
no parks
minimal street lighting
lower standards in schools teaching to lowest common denominator (ESL students)
traffic/congestion
land availability for new growth
lack of walkability south of 86th(nora)
lack of parks
apartments too prominent
strip mall format
lack of city center

Assets (all comments)

Traffic on 86th St. (good for my business)
Kid-friendly neighborhoods
Monon Trail
Proximity of St. Vincent
Local restaurants
Schools
86th St. corridor
Monon Trail
St. Vincent
Monon Trail
Local Flavor
Brand Businesses
Convenience
Inside 465
the foundation of a heart of nora (high probability of success)
Economic power: income
transportation
density
restaurants and businesses
school density
jordan y
Ease of commute
character of homes
library
cultural diversity
age diversity
schools
trail
target plus local shops
location
safety?
character, not cookie-cutter
library
retail: bars/shops
family friendly
medical access: Meridian + St V
school system
Monon Trail
Some unique retail
Target instead of Wal Mart
Jordan Y
North Central
Proximity to 465
First Baptist Athletics, Dynamo
Monon Trail
Local business, retail
Schools
Vibrant, engaged neighborhoods
Cultural, generational diversity
school system
monon trail
Nora Plaza
trees and neighborhood character
increasing restaurant options
accessibililty to Indpls and suburbs
accessibility north and south by bike on Monon
Target location
Library
Location
Trees, character
Walkability, sidewalks
convenience
central location
monon trail
diversity
diversity of housing stock
monon trail
sidewalk on 86th St.
diversity of neighborhoods, ages
St. Vincent
Proximity of restaurant options
Wash Twp Schools
Location, proximity to shopping, dining
diversity
trees and wildlife (ecotherapy)
proximity to downtown and interstate
safety
clean properties
close to, but removed from highway
Monon Trail
schools
Longtime residents
Hospitals close by
Shopping nearby
Variety of industries
Monon Trail
Strong community
Diverse population
Reasonable retail/business base
The Monon
General location
NCC, Nora Alliance
Convenient to 465
Post office
banks
groceries, shopping
Monon Trail
long term residents
shopping nearby; keystone at the crossing
near 465
private and public schools
homes often in wooded areas, large lots
good home value
Monon Trail
ymca
library
North Central
trees
close to everything
First Baptist sports
abundance off grocery options
Fashion mall, commons
465
Monon Trail
Plenty of grocery options
Lots of housing options
superior schools
active community involvement
single family homes
quick stop shopping

Needs (all comments)

Access to Monon Trail (from neighborhoods)
Soundproof wall on 465
walkability
connectivity
Sidewalks/walability
ability to walk across 86th
traffic on 86th
promotion of hidden jewel that is Nora
Additional school (charter or cfi)
Developers who will maintain or create value
Better traffic flow
Charter school?
Sewers
city water, sewers
sidewalks
flood abatement in n’hoods next to 465
public areas: parks and other spaces
improvements in alternative transportation
sidewalks and crosswalks
community garden
sidewalks
traffic calming
community garden
sidewalks, streetlights, city water and sewer across the board
improved traffic flow on 86th
noise reduction from i465
improved drainage from i465
need improved stoplights on 86th/haverstick
footwalk to monon from neighborhoods (91st/Haverstick)
more effective partnership w city
plan for streets and infrastructure
guided development of residential and commercial
more people
defined plan of physical environment e.g. where should the apartments be
Identity, branding, placemaking
definitions of acceptable levels of rental density
maintenance of high quality schools
community engagement
cross-culture engagement
maintenance of our existing infrastructure/Monon
safe pedestrian access on thoroughfares
village/city center
reliable city services
better traffic flow
sidewalks
sidewalks
sidewalks
better walking access to points of interest
city center
walkability, safety – (along 91st St.)
infrastructure (sewer, updated power)
identity
connectivity between neighborhoods
refugee population integration
refugee population integration
better connectivity
community center
need to have feeling of safety

Desires (all comments)

91st St for ‘local only’
Monon trail – haverstick to westfield
wildlife preservation
sidewalks
fewer lights, more roundabouts
crosswalk for NC
no more retail business development between Keystone and Westfield Blvd (northside of 86th)
parkland
walkability/connectivity
community center/hub focused place for community functions
sound barrier from 465
public transportation improvements
gathering place
better communication (newspaper?); what’s going on at the Y, St Lukes, WTSC?
guided, cooperative development
Village Center
small homes (like walden) (96th behind Sherwood Forest, 86th and Haverstick)
school choice
monon overpass on 86th
sidewalks
noise abatement
form based code (as opposed to zoning code by use)
identifiable event as “Nora” event
Strong neighborhood groups that are open and positive
preserve and encourage economic diversity
Public space/parks
access to monon trail from neighborhoods
non-commercial civic plaza
sidewalk connectivity – library to North Central; n’hoods to trail
development that is pedestrian oriented; oriented toward trail
redevelopment of nora center (Marsh)
public transit downtown – improved
fewer chains; more local/unique businesses
parks for children
more roundabouts
parks
more complete infrastructure
a gathering place
community events and space
more culturally inclusive events
better inter-city transit

NORA 2021: Vote for Our Community Priorities

Nora Community Priorities Survey

Summary and Tally of All Responses

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