The residents of southeast Greenwood are raising concerns again, this time rallying against another proposal to build industrial warehouses south of Worthsville Road.
Opus Development Company, LLC, a Minneapolis-based developer with a regional office in Indianapolis, went before the city’s planning commission Monday night to present its proposal for three large speculative buildings on the southwest corner of Worthsville Road and County Road 250 East, just east of the Interstate 65 interchange. The plan calls for the rezoning of 52 acres, currently zoned for suburban fringe, to industrial, something area property owners have continuously shot down, saying they do not want anything industrial south of Worthsville Road, where farmland and higher-end homes are located.
Their arguments are that plenty of empty warehouse space and vacant land to build on is available north of Worthsville Road; nearby warehouses would affect their property values; this type of development is not what the city’s comprehensive plan calls for in this area; and increased traffic on narrow, country roads would be dangerous.
The city’s planning commission will send an unfavorable recommendation for the project to the city council.
The land in question, which is currently owned by Vineyard Community Church, has been on the market since 2015.
It is across the street from the plot of land where Greenwood Mayor Mark Myers recently asked a different developer to withdraw its proposal to build a speculative building on some land owned by Kelsay Farms.
Residents also rallied against that, which is one of the main reasons city officials asked the company to pull out about a month ago.
Now, Opus wants to build two smaller buildings of 50,000 to 75,000 square-feet at the front of the new development, facing I-65, and one much larger building of about 350,000 square feet behind that.
All of the buildings would be built with the flexibility to attract a variety of tenants, from small, local distribution companies and medical sales operations, to regional offices for large, national or international businesses, Opus representatives said.
The development’s investment in Greenwood would be $9 million to $18 million without any tax abatement, which they have not asked for, they said, and $4.3 million to $12.6 million with abatement, they told planning commissioners.
Opus and its attorneys touted the company’s dedication to the city during its presentation. They’re wrapping up another similar building off Graham Road, north of Worthsville, and recently donated $40,000 to the Johnson County Community Foundation for its trails program.
The church has been trying to sell the property since 2015, but Jacque Haynes with Midland Atlantic Properties said she hasn’t been able to attract retailers to that space because the eastside doesn’t support it.
At least one resident said that’s not true.
Dave Ebeyer, a Greenwood resident and business owner, said they would welcome more retail with open arms. But making the area more industrial isn’t going to help with that, he said.
The development would also have a negative impact on his and his neighbors’ property values.
“The rezoning of these 52 acres will now allow warehouse development for the first time south of Worthsville Road. By allowing this industrial rezoning, you will now subsequently be setting a precedent for more warehouses to be built south of Worthsville Road,” he said.
He again pointed to the city’s 20-year comprehensive plan, which calls for that area to be developed as mixed-use, but mostly residential.
“As current homeowners in this area, we have made lifelong decisions and invested substantial dollars into our homes and into the Greenwood community as a whole, and just as important, we want to ensure a quality of life for our families. And we did so in good faith, based off of Greenwood’s own comprehensive plan,” Ebeyer said.
“Simply put, if the nine-page comprehensive plan is nothing more than a mere suggestion, if it holds no weight, and is not worth the paper that it’s written on, then how will we citizens base any kind of decision on where to build or buy a home anywhere in Greenwood without some kind of assurances from the city for responsible planning and zoning to ensure and protect our investment, property values and quality of life.”
A few of the approximately 30 residents who attended Monday night’s meeting had signs. One read: “STOP rezoning to industrial.” Another said: “Keep the ‘Green’ in ‘Greenwood.’”
When the city built the new I-65 interchange at Worthsville Road, it was supposed to serve as the primary gateway to Greenwood’s southside, said Nick Hunter, an area property owner.
“This is the city’s chance to create a new first impression for Greenwood,” Hunter said.
“This is in the same vicinity that just 30 days ago, this commission, the Common Council and the mayor deemed worthy of intervening and requesting that a similar proposal for industrial rezoning be withdrawn,” he said.
Other residents brought up safety concerns with increased traffic in the area, considering the roads around the development are mostly narrow, country roads.
“It’s nothing against the developer. I’m just trying to keep that area as much as we can a buffer to our agricultural areas. I realize that the markets have changed and business has changed, but that doesn’t mean that our city has to change everything about it,” said Randy Goodin, who is running for city council.
Planning commissioner Bob Dine asked Ebeyer where he could read about the negative impacts warehouses have on home values and quality of life.
“I’d like to research and read that myself. What resource are you using?” Dine asked.
“I’m going to use the reference guide of common sense in this regard. Go anywhere out in Center Grove, those nice, fancy neighborhoods, and do you see any warehouses located anywhere near them? No,” Ebeyer said. “Generally speaking, anywhere that you would have warehouses, you do not have expensive homes.”
Planning commissioner Matthew Smith, who is also running for city council, was against the development.
“If we allow this, my concern really is those single-family and multi-family homes … never come, and it’s, ‘Hey, let’s build more warehouses,’” Smith said.
“I don’t believe that this meets statutory criteria. These warehouses do significantly affect the price of the homes around them.”
