The Montgomery County Board of Commissioners on Monday quashed a developer’s plans to build a housing subdivision just south of Crawfordsville over concerns about traffic safety.
Commissioners unanimously denied a request from Crawfordsville-based Ratcliff Inc. to rezone 19 acres of agricultural land for the project on the east side of U.S. 231 between C.R. 300S and 400S.
The vote came after homeowners near the proposed development spoke out against the plans, saying a nearby hill poses a hazard for drivers.
“We already share our driveway with two other homes and you cannot try to pull out and pull in at the same time. You can’t see around everything and … it’s just not safe,” resident Kori Cummins said during a public hearing.
“It doesn’t seem smart to put everybody at risk for safety for monetary gain for someone else.”
Representatives for Ratcliff did not attend the meeting.
The developer was still waiting for the Indiana Department of Transportation to approve a driveway entrance for the proposed subdivision when the request began making its way through the approval process. County engineer Jim Peck, who spoke with INDOT officials Friday, said a decision on the driveway has not been made.
Approval of the entrance was one of six conditions placed on the project by the plan commission, which gave the request a favorable recommendation.
“One of the debates at the plan commission level was whether a developer should wait until they get INDOT approval and then ask [the Board of Commissioners] to rezone, whether they have the right to come to you before that,” county attorney Dan Taylor said.
Taylor said the developer could re-submit the request if INDOT approves the driveway.
Other conditions called for building no more than 10 lots and for developers to follow the county’s newly proposed road standards instead of the existing rules. A representative for Ratcliff told plan commissioners the road standards would hinder the project’s development.
Commissioner Dan Guard said there wasn’t enough information to act on the request.
“I don’t think it’s the right time for this to even be here,” Guard said. “I wouldn’t want to approve something contingent upon something that’s happening. I would much rather have it all in front of me to make a decision.”
In another business, commissioners approved posting a 40 mph speed limit on C.R. 400S (Airport Road) between U.S. 231 and State Road 47. The original proposal called for the posted speed to be 45 mph, but commissioners wanted the speed limit to be the same for the entire road. The limit will take effect once signs are posted.
In other business, the commissioners:
• Accepted a recommendation from highway superintendent Jeremy Phillips to award a $362,138 bid to Palmer Trucks for two tandem dump trucks.
• Approved an ordinance establishing a solid waste district. The county is leaving the West Central Indiana Solid Waste District at the end of the year.
• Approved an easement agreement for an access road from the east side of property owned by the Indiana Municipal Power Authority off Memorial Drive to county-owned land behind, and authorized Peck to seek construction bids.
• Approved sending a notice to bidders for IT equipment, funded by the CARES Act, enabling county personnel to work remotely in the event of a disaster. Commissioners would also receive tablets to use during meetings. Bids are set to be presented in October.
A representative from SRI Inc., the county’s tax sale vendor, presented a $500 scholarship for local student Lane Bradley. Bradley’s mother accepted the check on his behalf. The scholarship is co-sponsored by SRI and the Association of Indiana Counties.
