Edinburgh town officials plan to submit an application for grant funding this week that would make a new comprehensive plan possible.
The plan will include goals town officials have as they look at Edinburgh’s future. The application for funding from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs, or OCRA, is due Friday. If OCRA decides to grant Edinburgh $50,000 in funding, Edinburgh officials would match the grant with $5,600 of town money to hire a firm that would facilitate the comprehensive planning process.
During Monday’s town council meeting, Edinburgh residents had the chance to speak about the direction they’d like to see the town go in. Most people who commented were town officials, including Scott Finley, clerk-treasurer.
“I think this is something the town needs in a bad way. Our plan is 12 years old, and only one council member has been here (since that time),” Finley said. “A lot of things have changed in 12 years. Growth is changing, and the type of growth we’re getting is changing. The comprehensive plan needs to reflect the input of these five (council members) as well as the citizens’ input. What kind of parks do we want, where do we want commercial development and residential development?”
A comprehensive plan will help the town’s department heads budget know which projects they can pursue, said Daniel Teter, parks director.
“It’s important to have a plan for what we do,” he said. “The comprehensive plan will help. Since we only have a definite number of dollars, as a department head it’s really important because we have to know what to plan for.”
If Edinburgh gets the funding, town leaders will spend the following 10 to 12 months working with a consulting firm to develop a plan. That time will include public outreach, with surveys and meetings to determine the direction of the town involving residents, business leaders and other community members. Once that direction has been solidified, Edinburgh’s leaders will work with the firm to complete the plan, looking at ordinances and the existing conditions of the town to determine how to accomplish the plan’s objectives.
The last comprehensive plan, finalized in 2011, was meant to cover the following 10 to 15 years. During that time, town officials developed Edinburgh Industrial Park on the southern end of town, which currently has about 25 businesses. To facilitate further growth, the town is planning an extension of South Main Street from Industrial Drive South to County Road 900 North.
Additionally, an $8.7 million project to revamp State Road 252 is set to go under construction from 2025 to 2026. The project will include improvements to the road from U.S. 31 to Eisenhower Drive, including the widening of travel lanes, pavement resurfacing, sidewalk construction and drainage improvements.
A new comprehensive plan is needed to further develop the town and attract new residents, said Doyne Little, police chief.
“I’ve been here since 2003 and the town is starting to grow. It’s a good thing because I learned if you’re not growing you’re dying,” he said. “We don’t want to be huge but we need a tax base and growth. We need houses to keep our school growing so we’re not hurting. Growth is very important to the town of Edinburgh, the tax base pays my salary.”
If the tax base of the town includes more people, it will decrease the tax rate individual residents have to pay, Finley said.
Sherry Tatlock, who’s lived in Edinburgh for 50 years, said she’s happy with how the town has developed.
“I’ve lived in the town 50 years in the same house,” she said. “I raised five children in the school system. I’ve seen a lot of changes in not only the school system but the schools, and I’m proud of what I see.”
