Rushville outlines comprehensive plan for community growth

“A major part of our plan involves reinvestments in improving existing neighborhoods and focusing on community growth, so our short term goals will address blight issues in the community. If we want to attract professionals and young families to establish roots in our community, we know our housing stock needs to be well maintained and our neighborhoods welcoming,” Pavey said. “Aggressively addressing blight allows us to provide high quality homes and shore up property values.”

Twelve blighted properties have been identified in Rushville, with a $230,000 award from Indiana’s Hardest Hit Fund Blight Elimination Program being used to demolish and rebuild or renovate properties. Those structures that do not need to be demolished are being renovated through Rushville’s Commercial Property Revitalization Program (CPRP). The city has worked hard to secure some of the 12 properties as either unsafe structures or ones obtained through tax certificates.

Legal ads are being run that list unsafe structures that will be demolished. If anyone knows of properties needing demolition, they should contact Rushville Fire Chief Chuck Jenkins at 765-932-3065 or firechief@cityofrushville.in.gov.

Stronger, transparent, consistent enforcement of existing ordinances and code enforcement along with planned neighborhood clean-up days also will be part of the city’s approach to strengthening the visual appeal and property conditions of Rushville’s neighborhoods.

“We are striving for sustained change; not simply a band-aid approach. Our overall goal is to take what Rushville has and make it better,” Pavey said. “Demolishing unsafe structures, repairing and renovating those homes that can be improved through our Commercial and Residential Property Revitalization Program and strengthening our ordinance and code enforcement efforts are some of the first steps we will take in following our comprehensive plan.”

According to the mayor, in addition to housing and neighborhood issues, agriculture is a large identifier for the community along with downtown revitalization through small business investments. Other overarching themes in the comp plan include making important quality of life improvements, including community amenity ideas such as trails, parks and a community center with aquatic facilities.

Critical infrastructure sub-areas in need of attention or those that could be leveraged for the benefit of the community include the Riverside Park Connector and a State Road 3 Connector between I-74 and I-70.

“With more than 1,000 responses from our community survey, we feel confident we are moving forward with constituents’ wishes in mind with our comprehensive plan serving as a shining example of the democratic approach of operating from the consent of the governed. With residents having shared their views, the ball is in our court to prioritize and act,” Pavey said.

Information provided by Susan Nelson