Justin Schneider, Herald Bulletin
justin.schneider@heraldbulletin.com
PENDLETON - The future of transportation in Indiana is on the minds of many Hoosiers these days.
That fact was apparent Thursday as hundreds packed Pendleton Heights High School for a field hearing on the proposed Indiana Commerce Connector.
"This is only a field hearing; there will be no vote tonight," said state Rep. Terri Austin, D-District 36, chairwoman of the House Roads and Transportation Committee. "We thought it was important to have the opportunity to gather facts so we can be more informed."
The ICC project would create a 75-mile outerbelt toll road linking five interstate highways around Indianapolis. The bill has passed the Senate and will now go before the House.
Committee members Cleo Duncan, David Niezgodski, Bill Davis, Tom Saunders and Ed Soliday were present, as were Indiana Department of Transportation Commissioner Carl Browning and Deputy Commissioner Joe Gustin. Gustin said the debate over the ICC has prompted discussion of six major topics: eminent domain, economic development, traffic congestion, legislative oversight, mass transit and local issues.
"In 2005 and 2006, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation brought in 127 new businesses to the state," Gustin said. "Four out of five chose counties with access to interstate highways."
Furthermore, Gustin said, for every $1 billion in infrastructure, Indiana gains 47,000 jobs. Avoiding the transportation issues affecting Indiana is equivalent to "burying our heads in the sand," Gustin said.
Gov. Mitch Daniels' proposal calls for a public-private partnership, under which the ICC would be built, maintained and operated by a private contractor, but owned by the state. The governor's office believes the project would stimulate economic development and divert traffic off Interstate 69 while filling the state coffers.
"This is about economic development and job growth," said Anderson Mayor Kevin Smith. "The best illustration of that is the little bottles of Ice Mountain water you see around the room. That's a Nestlé company. If not for I-69, Nestlé would not have found a home in Anderson. Our No. 1 mission is to create job growth."
But many who spoke Thursday said the bill would give too much power to the governor. Part of the bill authorizes a feasibility study, but many believe it would give the governor power to make final decisions on the project.
"I rise in opposition to the bill because of the specifics in the legislation," said Madison County Commissioner Paul Wilson, D-South District. "The legislation needs to be limited to a study. The decision to move ahead under the circumstances is one of enormous gravity."
The state will likely acquire private land to construct the ICC. Given the presence of a public-private partnership, many consider this an abuse of eminent domain.
"I'm very much opposed to grabbing private property for private companies to profit from," said Jacqueline Braun. "As a philosophy and as public policy, it's extremely bad. The benefit to the local community is a myth."
Mike Mills, chief operating officer at Red Gold, said Indiana needs to capitalize on its natural geographic advantage - its central location.
"I'm in support of the connector because it supports the public interest of safety on the interstates," Mills said. "Truckers will use it, and they will use it because we pay our drivers $60 an hour to sit in traffic right now."
Mark Dyer lamented the destruction of farmland and greenspace to make way for roadways. Dyer moved from Fishers to the Pendleton area seeking a return to rural life.
"This is the destruction of the way of life for us in the rural community," he said. "This is so important I think it should be put on a referendum for the people to decide."