Celebrating Two Decades of the Monon Greenway

AFTER

BEFORE

Celebrating Two Decades of the

Monon Greenway

Writer // Janelle Morrison • Photography // Courtesy of Ron Carter and City of Carmel

Imagine for a moment … what if the Monon Trail had not been redeveloped and was left as an unsightly “linear junkyard” as it was prior to becoming a major outdoor attraction for Marion and Hamilton Counties?

Today, the Monon Trail is an asphalt trail that stretches from the town of Westfield south to downtown Indianapolis. The Monon Greenway runs 5 miles from 146th Street to 96th Street.

As many trail users celebrate two decades of utilizing the trail for recreation and transportation purposes, we thought it prudent to look back at the people and organizations who assisted in making the Monon Trail and Monon Greenway (Carmel’s portion) a reality and worked through a myriad of obstacles so that current and future generations can enjoy it.

PRE-REDEVELOPMENT OF THE MONON TRAIL

The CSX (formerly Monon) Railroad line connected Chicago and Indianapolis for more than 100 years. According to attorney Alan Townsend at Bose McKinney, who represented the City of Carmel during the land acquisitions for the Monon Trail project, CSX had either purchased outright parcels from landowners—mostly farmers at that time—or had written documents that were written as easements that gave the railroad company the right to use the land so as long as it was operating its railways. In later years, discerning who actually owned these parcels—246 in total—proved to be a convoluted task, to say the least.

After the decline of railroad travel and the sale of the company in 1987, the portion of the line between Indianapolis and Delphi was abandoned.

As municipalities in both counties began looking at purchasing properties along the Monon Railroad line, some property owners supported its redevelopment and some remonstrated in fierce opposition.

Carmel resident Paxton Waters and his wife, Rosemary, purchased their residence that adjoins the trail 31 years ago. Prior to its redevelopment, he recalled what the railroad line looked like.

“Thirty-one years ago, it was a serious junkyard,” Waters shared. “We bought our house at a discount because of the abandoned trail in the backyard. There were refrigerators and all kinds of big trash. People were shooting off guns back there, and in the wintertime it was a snowmobile course.”

Waters added, “I was totally for [the redevelopment] of the trail just to get rid of the trash. When I heard that the city was trying to buy up some of the properties along the trail, I was all for it. The trail was such a negative at the time and anything would be better than what it was.”

The Waters sold approximately 400 feet of their property to the city of Carmel for what he said was a “fair deal.” Fast forward to present time, Waters—who enjoys regular walks out on the trail—said he can’t even get out of his gate access to the trail from his backyard without people stopping to ask if he’d be interested in selling his house.

“What was a junkyard became a walking trail, and now it’s the biggest linear

park you can do,” Waters stated. “We [Rosemary and I] just love it. And as an architect and master planner, I understand how these things go, and they’re never an overnight thing.”

A DIFFICULT ROAD TO PAVE

City of Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard had a vision for the Monon Railroad line that had it morphing into a multi-county linear trail that would eventually become a main feed for intersecting trails throughout Central Indiana and the epicenter of an economic boom for Carmel and its fellow communities who share the railroad corridor.

“This railroad trail is unusual in the sense that it runs north and south, while many [other railroad lines] run east and west and were used to connect the east and west coasts,” Brainard said. “The land owned by the local farmers in the 1800s was later split up into lots and subdivisions in the 1960s, ’70s, ’80s and ’90s and went from 13 or so deeded parcels to 246 parcels.”

The mayor shared that CSX had taken the position that the deeds were not reversionary interests but were owned, outright, by the railroad company. Obviously, the owners of the properties adjacent to the railroad corridor disagreed with that assessment. Subsequently, a class-action lawsuit was filed by the property owners against CSX. The case was filed in Hamilton County and was presided by Judge William Hughes. In a decade’s time, the suit was escalated up to the Court of Appeals and eventually was tried in the Indiana Supreme Court.

“The way the courts go about determining the title to these forgotten railroad corridors is messy,” Townsend stated. “Figuring out who the owner was became just an absolute jigsaw puzzle. The pending [class-action] lawsuit about who did or did not own [the properties] and who had the right to collect revenue from the fiber optic companies who had buried lines along the corridor is where we [the city] got our start.”

Townsend explained that because CSX had sent a team to meet with the property owners in Carmel more than a century ago, there were several different hand-written documents that the Indiana Supreme Court either ruled were actual warranty deeds or were right-of-way easements, and the 246 parcels in question were a maddening combination of both.

“Some of these were indeed reversionary instruments,” Townsend further explained. “What that means is when the railroad stopped running their trains and pulled up their tracks, the interest in that property reverted back to the person who gave them the easement in the first place. Keep in mind that there have been multiple property owners since that time and the properties were divided into several smaller pieces.”

Before it was all said and done, Townsend, along with Mayor Brainard and then city council member Ron Carter, had met with over 200 property owners, of which not all were as enthusiastic about the project. While most parcels were eventually purchased without issue from the property owners, some went through the process of eminent domain before the city could begin the process of paving and redeveloping the corridor.

“The purchase amounts for these parcels were determined by licensed and trained appraisers,” Townsend stated. “That’s how the courts typically expect these [amounts] to be figured out. Until the court decided who owned the parcels, we placed the money in an escrow account that we set up of the court’s escrow account before it was eventually released to the rightful owner. The mayor and Ron [Carter] took a lot of heat, and it takes a lot of intestinal fortitude to stick to your convictions that you know what you’re doing is right and is what is best for the community. In this instance, I don’t know of anyone today who does not look at this project and say, ‘What a great idea.’ In fact, we mostly hear, ‘What took you so long?’”

GARNERING THE SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY

The success of the Monon Greenway project is due in large part to not only the city administrators and department heads who fought for the project but would not have been possible without the countless individuals and groups such as the Monon Greenway Committee, which recognized the substantial economic and recreational impact of redeveloping the corridor and raised awareness and funds to help push the needle forward on the project.

“In my mind, this [Monon Greenway] was not just something that we could do, it was something that we should do,” Carter expressed. “I was on the city council at that time and was a member and eventual president of the Carmel Redevelopment Commission. Those positions helped me to expand the vision of the trail and talk with developers about what the trail could mean to them. The trail is the equivalent to beach-front property in Central Indiana.”

Carter continued, “What is an important fact is that Jim Brainard was the right person at the right time for this particular situation. And not just because of his vision [for the project] but because he was the only person I knew that was an advocate for trails and greenways that had a legal background. The moves he made from a legal standpoint were invaluable.”

Carter shared that a member of The Rotary Club of Carmel organized a trail cleanup from 116th to 96th streets, picking up two dump loads of heavy trash that had been tossed onto the railroad right of way for years.

Carter also shared that Phil Anderson, who was the Rotary president at the time, was extremely helpful in getting that effort moved along, and that Nick Kestner, who also was very active in Rotary, because of his background in bicycling also understood the economic impact that increased bicycling along the trial would have. Also mentioned, Rotary member and then Township Trustee Judy Hagen, was a key member of the Monon Greenway Committee as well and was crucial in garnering support for the trail to counter the efforts of the remonstrators.

“The Monon Greenway Committee was a major help,” Carter emphasized. “For example, we collected 3,000 signatures at CarmelFest on a petition for the trail to be made into a rail trail, and we presented it to the then city council—I was not on the council yet—who wouldn’t even look at it and, in fact, they were rude to us in the meeting. That was when I decided to run for city council. The people who got elected to city council in 1995 and took office in 1996 were open-minded supporters who worked with the Monon Greenway Committee. It was a 180-degree turnaround in terms of support.”

AN INCOMPARABLE COMMUNITY AMENITY AND ECONOMIC DRIVER

The Monon Greenway is a 42-acre linear park. A grand opening in the fall of 2001 marked the project’s completion. The trail runs through suburban neighborhoods and the retail/ commercial districts of the city of Carmel. It connects at 96th Street with the Monon Trail in Indianapolis. The Monon Greenway connects to the Monon Trail in Indianapolis. That connection allows its users to be able to ride all the way to downtown Indianapolis by bike path. It also connects to a multiuse path along 146th Street that takes people through the outskirts of two other communities, Noblesville and Westfield.

Since its opening, the public has overwhelmingly supported the trail. Organizations such as The Rotary Club of Carmel and the Carmel Clay Public Library have been staunch supporters of the redevelopment of the trail since its inception, and the Carmel/Clay Parks and Recreation Department manages the Greenway.

Over the years, the properties along the Monon Greenway in Carmel have become some of the most sought-after properties in both residential and commercial real estate markets. City Center, the Center for the Performing Arts and Midtown Plaza most certainly would have different vibes if not for the existence of the Monon Greenway. And the Carmel Clay Schools have benefited as their cross-country teams use the trail for training as an alternative to busy streets and narrow sidewalks.

The trail also serves as a commuter route for avid bicyclists and pedestrians who choose alternate means of transportation.

During the summer seasons, the Carmel Farmers Market has reported that over 10% of the visitors to the market arrived there via the trail. And the trail provides easy access to the festivals and other community events that are located in the Arts & Design District, Midtown and City Center.

As many residents know, the Carmel Clay Historical Society is located in the old Monon railroad station, “The Depot,” just south of Main Street and adjacent to the trail.

There are simply not enough column inches available in this article to thank the entire list of individuals, community organizations, city department heads and other contributors to the success of the Monon Greenway in Carmel. Nonetheless, we wish to sincerely thank every individual who contributed their talents, time, money and other resources to the redevelopment of one of the city’s, county’s and area’s most important amenities. Without their determination, vision, patience and contributions—the Monon Greenway would not be the extraordinary linear park that it has become, that will be enjoyed by residents and visitors for generations to come.

Ron Carter: former city council member

City of Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard

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WISH-TV’s Scott Sander

From CHS’s WHJE to Award-Winning Local Media Personality

Writer // Janelle Morrison • Photography // Courtesy of WISH-TV and Laura Arick

This month, we are pleased to feature Carmel resident and Carmel High School (CHS) alum Scott Sander on our cover. WISH-TV’s Sander is a 30-plus-year multiple-Emmy-award-winning anchor. He is also a CCS parent and dedicated community volunteer.

We spoke with Sander about his radio days at WHJE and how those experiences laid the foundation for his career in radio and then local broadcast TV. We also discussed why he decided to return to his old stomping grounds along with his wife, Tammy, and their two children, in Carmel, Indiana.

WHJE—The Voice of the Greyhounds

Before Sander graduated from CHS in 1990, he gained on-air experience as a sports- and newscaster for WHJE, the CHS radio broadcast program for aspiring broadcasters at the high school. Under the guidance of CHS teachers Scott Gregg and Tom Schoeller, Sander began building the foundation to a long and successful broadcast career.

“I had a couple of terrific teachers [Gregg and Schoeller] who guided me through the [radio] program,” Sander shared. “At one point, Mr. Schoeller pulled me aside and in so many words said, ‘You don’t have any idea what you want to do with your life, do you?’ and I said, ‘No, sir.’ And he said, ‘Well, you’re not terrible at this, so you might give [broadcasting] a shot.”

Sander said he jumped into the program with “both feet” and got excited about sports broadcasting, all the while learning important lessons about perseverance as well as the logistics behind executing a proper broadcast.

“My first newscast was in the main studio at WHJE, and I believe Del Shannon had just passed,” Sander recollected. “We were going to go on air with our regular hourly update, and it was my first newscast clip. I wanted to include a clip of one of [Del’s] songs—“Runaway,” I think. So, we put it on the ‘cart.’ Back then, a cart looked like an eight-track tape that you recorded on, and then you would fire up the cart when it was time to go.”

Just as Sander was to go on air for his very first newscast, Murphy’s Law took effect.

“I said, ‘Del Shannon passed away today,’ and I pointed my finger to cue … and then there was nothing but dead air,” Sander said. “And so, my first broadcasting experience was a failure, but it was a great thing because just as WHJE was a great place to succeed, it may have been an even better place to fail. While the whole idea was to never have dead air and never to intentionally cause a mistake, it was an opportunity to make a mistake and know that you could come back and try it again to see if [broadcasting] was a fit for you and see if you could maybe make a life out of it.”

Sander added, “It’s still in progress, but I’ve been at this for 32 years and counting, so it’s worked [for me] so far.”

The Transition From Radio to Live TV

After graduating from CHS, Sander attended the University of Missouri on the advice of his mentors, Mr. Gregg and Mr. Schoeller. As part of the degree program, Sander had to participate in both its radio and TV programs.

“I thought I was going to do radio playby-play for sports,” Sander stated. “And in a similar conversation with the [station’s] news director that I had once had with

Mr. Schoeller, the director looked at me and said, ‘I don’t know if you’ve ever considered television, but you’re not terrible at it. You might give it a try.’ My north stars have been people who have spoken frankly to me. Both CHS and [University of] Missouri made it possible for me, and I’ve been very lucky that way.”

We discussed the differences—in prep— between being on radio and live TV, and when asked if Sander prefers radio over TV or vice versa, Sander quipped, “When you introduce hair spray into the equation, it changes everything for sure.”

Sander continued, “I’ve been lucky because I’ve been doing morning TV most of my career, and it’s the closest thing to a hybrid of the two [radio and TV] because there’s an informality that lends itself to what is great about radio. But there’s an access to things that radio can’t bring, such as compelling images and on-thespot reporting where you can see what’s actually happening. I really like morning television because it lets me use skills from both of these areas.”

Sander has reported live on many historical and unprecedented events—including some of the nation’s most tragic incidents. Sanders was on the scene for events such as the history-shaping flooding in Missouri, the campaign trail as presidential candidates crisscrossed Iowa and from the grounds of Columbine High School within minutes of the tragedy that unfolded there. He’s covered many stories all over Central Indiana, including the greatest spectacle in racing—the Indianapolis 500.

We asked Sander how one navigates through the various headspaces to conduct a professional and accurate reporting of what’s going on in that moment—experiencing much of what first responders and those directly affected are also experiencing. He thoughtfully replied, “I do believe what we [journalists] do is useful and it can be important. If I’ve learned nothing else from my parents and grandparents, it’s that if something is useful and is worth doing—it’s worth doing well. I try to remember—especially at a difficult location—that I may be the only conduit to information that a person at the other end has. If you always presume that you are—for that moment—the source of information that a person has and that they’ve chosen to pay attention to you, then you owe it to them to be present and effort-filled.”

Sander paused and then added, “Whatever I’m feeling in that moment, the people inside of the yellow line are feeling it tenfold. When I feel overwhelmed, I have to fight it and remind myself that the only reason it’s upsetting news is because it’s upsetting somebody else so much more and they deserve my effort and professional reporting of the situation.”

Back Home Again

Sander and his family left Colorado and moved to Carmel in 2005 where he signed on as the first anchor of WISH-TV’s 10 o’clock news on MyINDY-TV 23. He was moved up to the Daybreak team in 2007 where he’s been for 14 years and counting.

The Sander family is active and involved in the Carmel and Indianapolis communities. The Sander children are active in sports and performing arts at the middle school and high school levels.

Sander is actively involved in community organizations such as The Indianapolis Public Library Foundation, Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, Indianapolis Fire Department, the Indiana Historical Society and Carmel Education Foundation. He also coached for many years with the Carmel Dad’s Club while his son was active in the club’s athletic programs.

“I just rolled off a six-year term as a board member of the Indianapolis Public Library Foundation, which my grandfather [Harold John Sander] began towards the end of his time as the director of public libraries [1956–72] in Indianapolis,” Sander shared. “The foundation continues to be the fundraising arm for the library’s programs.”

Sander shared that one of the main reasons he and his wife chose to root in the Carmel community was because of its schools. And being a product himself of CCS made that decision all the easier.

“Please don’t think for a minute that I think the Carmel schools are perfect, but I think they’re still extraordinary,” Sander expressed. “I’m lucky that my kids have the opportunity to look for their niche and what sings to their heart. And no one can say that there aren’t opportunities available in Carmel. As for the city of Carmel itself, the changes to the city have been enormous but some things have remained constant. And I think the dedication to the ideas of the [Carmel] school system has remained pretty true.”

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