City, town, and county leaders shared the latest information on everything from infrastructure to economic growth during Tuesday’s Boone County State of the Community breakfast. One speaker corrected a misconception about controversial water sourcing for the LEAP Lebanon Innovation and Research District as panelists discussed and answered questions submitted by the audience.
Zionsville Mayor John Stehr and Whitestown’s new Council President Dan Patterson said they are committed to working together and with Lebanon to create a unified Boone County and develop responsible economic growth that benefits all of the county’s residents.
“The LEAP District is going to happen,” Stehr said. “There’s a lot of momentum. The state is behind it. Purdue is behind it. The land has been obtained, and growth is going to happen there.
“So it’s incumbent upon Boone County to be prepared for the growth and build the foundation today to support that growth in the coming years.”
“You can’t unring the bell,” Patterson said. “Tremendous growth is going to happen here.”
The trick he said, is to move forward while considering the values of all constituents and preserving as much of the county’s rural heritage as possible for future generations.
Members of the business community, court system, police and fire representatives, engineers, Eli Lilly and Co. representatives, school superintendents, and others posed questions about infrastructure, transportation, housing, and more.
The Boone County and Zionsville chambers of commerce and Boone County Economic Development Corporation sponsor the annual event, and Boone EDC Director Molly Whitehead presented questions and moderated at the Boone County 4-H Fairgrounds.
LEAP WATER
Lebanon Mayor Matthew Gentry took a question about the feasibility of a reservoir being built on Sugar Creek near Thorntown. That proposal has been floating around since long before Gentry took office.
He referred to a study that determined the cost would ultimately be greater than the resulting gains. It would take 20 to 30 years to fully develop. Federal restrictions are now greater than when the idea first came about and many property owners would be affected, he said.
Plus, water may come from another source.
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation is developing LEAP Lebanon on 9,000 acres in northwestern Boone County. Eli Lilly and Co. is the anchor tenant and has contracted with Lebanon Utilities to provide enough water for its operations.
But more tenants are expected, and the IEDC has proposed a 50-mile pipeline from a Wabash River aquifer near Lafayette to Lebanon. The pipeline would serve potential tenants, such as a semiconductor manufacturer, that could use up to millions of gallons of water a day. It would also serve Lebanon.
But there is a persistent public misconception about the proposed pipeline, Gentry said. It will happen only if a project destined for LEAP Lebanon warrants it, he said.
The state will install the pipeline only if a manufacturer needs that much water and will produce enough in taxes for the state to recapture a good portion of the cost, Gentry said.
Panelists also discussed finding the right balance of affordable housing and quality of life to keep children from leaving the community after college and to attract new talent.
They touched on the difficulty of finding childcare and asking employers to participate in solutions.
And Gentry, Stehr, and Patterson said there are no plans to pick up the Ronald Regan Parkway from Hendricks County into Boone County. But Patterson said it’s not off the table.
ADVANCE
Advance Town Council President Jim Caldwell said the town’s footprint can’t grow due to surrounding farmland that will be passed to the owners’ heirs.
But there are lots for sale with utilities already available. “If you want to build a house, we’re ready for you,” he said.
The Indiana Municipal Power Agency is making a five-year plan to upgrade the town’s electrical system. The town will soon double the size of its sewer plant.
Advance’s businesses are thriving, and there is healthy interest in available commercial space, he said.
“We’re a small town, but we’re trying to move toward a lot of things,” he said.
Plus, Advance has an afterschool care program that feeds children and offers retired teachers to help with homework and mentoring.
JAMESTOWN
Town Councilman Shane Childress said Jamestown is aiming for controlled growth “that you can pace and welcome.”
Developers have not gone public yet, but there is quite an interest in housing developments in Jamestown, he added.
THORNTOWN
Thorntown Clerk Treasurer Koren Gray said Thorntown has completed a recent sewer project that will accommodate a 163-unit housing development slated for the town’s west side. And a developer recently bought two downtown buildings to restore.
“We’re looking for a little bit of growth, and hopefully we’ll feed a few children into Western Boone (School Corporation),” she said.
“But we are going to have to take another step with the wastewater so that we can have further growth behind those 163 homes.”
Thorntown also has an afterschool program similar to the one in Advance