More than 400 acres of farm fields on the north side of Franklin are being annexed into the city to make the area more ready for development.
The annexation, initiated by the city, will close the gap between the town of Whiteland and the city, although don’t expect to see any changes or building projects in the short term.
The 425-acre property is owned by Joe and Amy Kelsay and Kelsay Farms, which has operated a dairy farm and agri-tourism business, in addition to the grain operation. The land has not been sold and will continue to be used to grow grain for the time being. About 403 acres are farmed, and the property includes a few home sites and woods, Joe Kelsay said.
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But the land, which is north of NSK Precision America, east of U.S. 31, south of Paul Hand Boulevard and west of Graham Road, is inside the city’s new opportunity zone. Developers can access federal gains tax incentives for projects in the zone during the next 10 years. The zone was approved by the federal government earlier this year.
“It is in the best interest to think about where opportunities might develop,” Kelsay said.
Franklin officials would want development in that zone to be a part of the city, paying city property taxes and receiving city services. For that to happen, the land must be annexed.
Although no projects are pending and Kelsay hasn’t been marketing his property, the city wanted to annex the land now because of a state law that forbids annexations from taking place in the year before a Census.
The next Census will be conducted in 2020, meaning no annexations can go into effect in 2019.
Mayor Steve Barnett initiated the annexation project and said he wanted to bring the land into the city in case a developer wanted to start a project in 2019 or 2020. The property could be attractive to a developer because a rail line cuts through it, Barnett and Kelsay said.
Kelsay said he was open to the mayor’s proposal because his family wants to be good citizens and partners, and be a participant in, rather than an obstacle to, thoughtful planning regarding the future.
Because the land usage won’t immediately change, bringing that amount of acreage into the city won’t cause a change in city services that are needed. The Kelsays also will not begin paying a city property tax rate until the land is developed.
The annexation has to be approved by the plan commission and city council, and is set for a public hearing on Sept. 18.
