County residents near the Franklin buffer zone spoke out against the annexation of 88.4 acres into the city for future industrial use.
About 30 people crowded into the city council chambers at Franklin City Hall Monday, with five speaking up sharing their thoughts on the project with the council during the public hearing. The council took several questions following the public hearing though they were not legally required to do so.
The annexation is being proposed for a light industrial rezone east of Interstate 65 in Franklin, next to the planned 482-acre industrial park from Florida-based Sunbeam Development Corp., and a 1 million-square-foot building to be built this year by GDI Construction of Indianapolis.
The property, currently farmland, is located on three parcels north and south of State Road 44, on the east side of County Road 600 East. Nearly all of the land west of the property to I-65 is already annexed into the city and has been rezoned for light industrial.
<a href="http://www.dailyjournal.net/wp-content/files/sites/9/2021/05/a645c57dec650de36e6e9917ee6f53e3-2.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1629159" src="http://www.dailyjournal.net/wp-content/files/sites/9/2021/05/a645c57dec650de36e6e9917ee6f53e3-2-300×295.jpg" alt="The area outlined in yellow is the property included in the Oakleaf Farms annexation and rezoning proposal. Submitted photo" width="300" height="295" /></a> The area outlined in yellow is the property included in the Oakleaf Farms annexation and rezoning proposal. Submitted photoWith this annexation, the city would be at the outer limit of the eastside buffer zone that has been eyed for future growth since 1972. This area has been in the county jurisdiction but the buffer zone gave Franklin more control over its future.
The annexation and rezone is proposed by Harry “Mac” McNaught of Dennison Properties, who developed Franklin Tech Park, which includes Energizer, Interstate Warehousing and Aisin. McNaught recently received approval to double the size of the Aisin facility and that work is now underway.
“We committed to the city early on to pursue institutional-grade investments for long-term ownership and management,” McNaught said. “We have delivered — that’s what you’re seeing being expanded.”
McNaught did not offer a lot of detail about his plans for the property but said it would be more of the same type of development that is already happening in the area. Overall goals for the project are to build high-quality industrial buildings and attract light industrial, ecommerce or warehousing businesses, he said.
Until there is enough interest in the site to start building, the property will continue to be farmed, McNaught said. There is no business under contract for the site right now, he said.
The proposal was forwarded to the city council with no recommendation by the Franklin Plan Commission, after a failed vote for and against it. This is a rare move that gives the council no direction from the commission which advises the council on the merits of a project compared to the city’s comprehensive plan.
There was no action taken on the annexation itself Monday but the city council voted unanimously to approve a fiscal plan for the annexation. The plan is a document outlining how the city will provide services to the area after it joins the city. Approving the fiscal plan only means the council is comfortable that the city can provide services and is not a reflection of their feelings on the proposal itself.
A vote on the annexation and rezoning will not take place until the council’s next meeting at 6 p.m. on May 17.
County residents had concerns about noise, light, semi traffic and the erosion of the quiet, rural lifestyle they enjoy. They argued that the warehouses already in operation and the Umbarger feed mill are already causing light and noise pollution.
An industrial warehouse could be virtually in her backyard, said resident Cindy Cooper. The lights at Umbarger already are overwhelmingly bright, like an airport, she said.
“Where do we eat? Where do we work? Where do we spend our money? In Franklin. I would hate to say that this town did that to these people,” Cooper said.
Some nearby residents have lived nearby for generations while others just moved to the area to get away from the traffic and the noise of larger cities like Greenwood, they said
Residents also wondered what McNaught will do to set up a buffer between their homes and the future industrial sites.
Plans for the land are not drawn up, but McNaught said there will likely be a natural buffer such as grass-covered dirt mound and trees. The wooded area within the annexation area will be preserved, similar to a wooded area near Franklin Tech Park that is now maintained by Franklin College, he said.
“We don’t want to hurt anybody in terms of any use of farming or the few residences that are south of (SR) 44,” McNaught said.
Other residents were concerned about the speed with which industrial properties are developing the area and feel like other property within the city that are already designated for industrial use should be developed first.
“There’s a lot of ground on the westside of I-65 that hasn’t even been developed,” said Andy Hensley, a multi-generation farmer who lives nearby. “I don’t understand the need to rezone that; because it will just be the tip of the iceberg.”
Others brought up how warehouse workers generally can’t afford to live in Franklin, due to the current lack of affordable housing inventory. Also, residents were concerned that there are already many job openings in the city that go unfilled for a prolonged period of time.
“Most of the warehouse workers can’t even afford to live in this community … I feel like this is really compounding the problem,” said Erin Slevin, a nearby resident.
During the discussion, city officials also took time to address a few misconceptions that were perpetuated about the project.
A rumor was circulated in the Nyberg subdivision that the annexation proposal would raise their taxes. However, all taxes will remain the same because the annexation only includes the parcels directly north and south of State Road 44, Mayor Steve Barnett said.
Some were also concerned they would be forced to hook onto city utilities. The city is planning a major eastside sewer interceptor project but that extension is only for the development and for future growth at I-65, Barnett said. Utility services are only provided to homes and businesses within the city limits, so county residents would not be able to hook onto the system.
The council took these public comments under advisement for their vote in two weeks. During that meeting the council will decide whether to annex and rezone the land, annex the land without rezoning it, or do neither.
