This property at 3829 W. Whiteland Road, Bargersville could be the site of a future location of Goddard School if a rezoning request is granted Feb. 13. Daily Journal File Photo
Stakeholders on Tuesday debated the merits of a proposal to rezone land for a private kindergarten and child care center in Bargersville.
CrossRoad Engineers is requesting a rezone of a property at the corner of Whiteland Road and Saddle Club Road on behalf of Goddard School, an early child care and educational franchise. The Bargersville child care center would feature a 12, 725 square foot facility, two outdoor playgrounds on either side of the building and 54 parking spaces. There would be a 15-foot buffer for nearby residents built on the eastern and southern parts of the property including a fence, trees and shrubs.
At full capacity, the child care facility would be expected to serve 175 to 200 students ages six weeks to six years old. Goddard School licenses 600 franchises in 37 states and Washington D.C. There are several local franchise locations in Central Indiana including in Greenwood and Southport.
A public hearing was held at the November Bargersville Plan Commission meeting, during which residents voiced concerns about traffic at the intersection and the location chosen for the child care center. At that meeting members of the commission said they recognized the need for childcare in the area but weren’t sure this location was the right place for it. The commission ultimately sent the rezone to the town council with an unfavorable recommendation.
Officials say the Greenwood location has served more than 1,700 students in the Center Grove area. There are currently waitlists for classes, indicating a need for child care in the area, Justen Hochstetler, of CrossRoad Engineers, said in November.
Since the November meeting, the petitioner has committed to child care as the sole use of the property, to shield mechanical equipment on the roof, and not to exceed a one-story high building.
Petitioner representatives and nearby residents spoke out again about the proposed school at the Tuesday town council meeting.
Property owner Steve Pattel said he sees this property functioning the same as the Greenwood location in terms of safety and drop-off times.
“I think this is definitely a safe location,” Pattel said. “That’s why I like it. It’s not near a shopping center or highway or freeway… I do see a lot of parents might be walking on nice days from different neighborhoods. So we anticipate a lot of families coming in from Saddle Club and getting into the school.”
Traffic would be expected to increase by 2.3%, and parents would be required to park and walk their children inside the child care center, petitioner representatives said in November.
There are no immediate plans for before and after school care at this location, so there would be no need for buses. However, this could be a possibility in the future, Pattel said.
Town councilors asked how the drop-off and pick-up times would look if the center were to add that in the future. A petitioner representative said they have been communicating with area schools and confirmed their peak pick-up and drop-off times would not conflict with Goddard School’s.
Mike Robards lives next door to the property and told the council he is “very much” against the rezone. He said he is concerned about property values decreasing if the property were to be sold in the future, traffic and the safety of the children.
“When I bought my lot 27 years ago, I had no idea (there would be) something like this I’d have to fight …” Robards said. “I have no problem with the school; I see the need for the school. It’s the location.”
Other homeowners have reached out with concerns that property values would be affected and have sent letters to the town council, officials said.
The council will hold a second reading and likely make a decision on the rezoning at their Feb. 13 meeting.
