Save The Eagle Creek Forest from Commercial Rezoning
By Marty Risch
An incredible tract of open space and natural habitat on Indianapolis’ northwest side is facing the threat of destruction to make way for another large-scale commercial development. Unfortunately, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Development Council approved the rezoning request of this 200acre site in Traders Point from residential and agricultural use to commercial use on August 16, but it’s not too late to stop this project! It still needs to be approved or rejected by the Indianapolis City-County Council. Contact your City Councilors and tell them to reject the commercial rezoning on case 2023-CZN-814.
About the Site
The Eagle Creek Forest surrounds Eagle Creek in Pike Township. It extends along tributary streams and drainageways in a continuous, interconnected network of trees and greenery. The Eagle Creek Forest contains woodlands, wetlands, and neighborhoods in Traders Point west of I-465. It includes the famous Eagle Creek Park and a reservoir that is a source of public water supply for Indianapolis.
The whole of the Eagle Creek Forest will experience environmental degradation if the City Council approves rezoning of this 200-acre portion in Traders Point from residential and agricultural use to commercial zoning. The site is west of I-465 between 86th St. at Conarroe Rd. and 79th St. at Marsh Rd.
The rezoning site is currently listed in the City’s Comprehensive Plan as “environmentally sensitive”, defined as “intended for areas containing high quality woodlands, wetlands, or other natural resources that should be protected.” Commercial development contradicts the purpose of the environmentally sensitive classification, which is “to prevent or mitigate potential damage to these (natural) resources caused by development.” Family homes and agriculture are the right fit for this environmentally sensitive area and City planners originally zoned the land appropriately.
The rezoning site contains approximately 125 acres of forest, including approximately 40 acres of old forest, similar to what is in the dedicated State Nature Preserves in Eagle Creek Park. The site includes two wetland lakes and wetland soils. There is evidence and habitat for endangered and threatened bats, birds, reptiles, and insects. Level ground on the site contains soils that are rated highly productive for agriculture and had a farm for many years. Commercial development will create fragmented and isolated woodland and wetlands, disrupted drainage, loss of good farmland, and inevitable decline of valuable wildlife habitat.
All of the water on the 200-acre rezoning site, along with water from some 60 acres of commercial development east of I-465, drains westward in four streams, descending 100 feet in elevation in less than a mile, to become Hopewell Creek that enters Eagle Creek near 79th St., which is the northern waterfowl and migratory bird habitat of the Eagle Creek reservoir.
If the City Council approves the rezoning to commercial use and the land is developed according to the current site plan, 133 acres will become buildings, parking lots, sidewalks, and roads—“impervious surfaces” that prevent precipitation from soaking into the ground. Each acre of impervious surface that receives the Indianapolis annual average of precipitation (43.63 inches) can generate 1.2 million gallons of new stormwater runoff. Each new acre developed also increases runoff.
Flood prevention can be assisted by wise land use decisions that retain forests and wetlands such as those in the Eagle Creek Forest. The second largest flood ever recorded on Eagle Creek was just 10 years ago in April 2013. It raised water levels 12 feet on Fox Lake at Hopewell Creek because Eagle Creek was already full. Road bridges in Traders Point and Zionsville were under water during this major flood. Less severe floods on Eagle Creek continue to occur without a new source of runoff.
According to recent research, intense and prolonged high-volume precipitation events delivering several inches per hour are expected in Indiana as a result of climate change. When landscapes are saturated or frozen, or covered with impervious surfaces, high precipitation will force runoff to overflow stream channels to cause floods. The effects of Eagle Creek floods will be increased by the new stormwater runoff from commercial development if the Traders Point site is rezoned.
Eagle Creek Reservoir is primarily a flood-control reservoir that retains flood water to protect downstream communities in Speedway and Indianapolis. When the gates on the Eagle Creek dam have to be closed, flood water will raise upstream water levels, affecting Eagle Creek Park, shoreline residences, and areas along Eagle Creek and its tributaries. There are indications that the water storage capacity of Eagle Creek reservoir may be diminishing, which also can increase flooding effects.
Degraded water quality from sediment in runoff during construction will combine with chemical pollutants in parking lot and roadway runoff to cause impacts on fish and wildlife in downstream waters, including Eagle Creek Reservoir. The potential for stimulating more harmful algal blooms deserves serious attention because of adverse effects on drinking water and recreation. The potential for hidden soil and subsurface contaminants from a former military armor museum on the south end of the site apparently has not been investigated. Surface water and groundwater could be affected.
If the Traders Point site is rezoned, the commercial development will require City and State departments of transportation to build two new roundabouts, extra turn lanes, bridge upgrades, and improvements to Marsh Rd. to sustain new truck traffic. Tax dollars, not developer dollars, are required to fund all these associated upgrades. Unlike a commercial development, traffic associated with the current zoning requires less extensive road and intersection improvements.
The numerous empty office and commercial spaces a short distance east of the rezoning site are ample evidence that demand and need for more of them is not realistic. Traders Point shopping plaza has large unoccupied stores and large unbuilt spaces. Park 100 and its neighbors have vacant buildings and For Lease signs in many places. Yet office and commercial space are the prevalent uses proposed for the development on the rezoning site.
The current residential and agricultural zoning on the site supports sustainable water and natural resources that maintain a desirable quality of life for Traders Point taxpayers and voters. Traders Point still has successful working farms, which proves the point. Residences consistent with the nearby Traders Point neighborhoods could be built if the site were not rezoned and land prices were equitable. Family homes are reliable sources of property and income tax revenue for the community. They are consistent with existing neighborhoods west of I-465
How You Can Help
Remonstrators opposed to the Traders Point rezoning case 2023-CZN-814 were represented in the July 27 and August 16 public hearings with the Department of Metropolitan Development and Metropolitan Development Commission (MDC) by the Pike Township Residents Association, Eagle Creek Park Advisory Committee, Traders Point Association of Neighborhoods, West 86th St. Homeowners Association, and Indiana Forest Alliance. Unfortunately, the rezoning was approved. But it is not too late to reverse this decision!
Please plan to attend the City-County Council meeting on September 11, 2023, at 7:00 PM, in the Buert Servass Assembly Room of the City-County Building, where the MDC approval of the development proposal will be considered for final approval by the City-County Council. Any councilor has the opportunity to call the zoning decision and request a vote to hear it. However, it is common practice to refer to the district councilor. If a councilor calls the MDC decision to a vote and gets the votes to hear it, another negotiation process is required by the Council’s rules of procedure. If an agreement is not made within about 30 days, then the petition returns to the Council for another full hearing. If the Council does not overturn the MDC’s approval decision, the next remedy is litigation against the city for the approval.
In advance of the Council meeting, letters to other councilors are encouraged. Ask your Councilors to uphold the City’s Comprehensive Plan and the wishes of local residents by opposing this development and reject rezoning on case 2023-CZN-814.
The rezoning case is in District 1 and Leroy Robinson is the Councilor: leroy.robinson@indy.gov
The Council President is Vop Osili at vop.osili@indy.gov and Council Vice President is Zach Adamson at zach.adamson@indy.gov.
Ask Councilor Robinson and your councilor to call the rezone petition down for City Council consideration so that the views of all citizens can be heard by the full Council. Refer to the information in the newsletter to compose your letter.
Here is the full list of City-County Councilors:
leroy.robinson@indy.gov; david.ray@indy.gov; keith.potts@indy.gov; vop.osili@indy.gov; william.oliver@indy.gov;
brian.mowery@indy.gov; jessica.mccormich@indy.gov; frank.mascari@indy.gov; maggie.lewis@indy.gov; jason.larrison2@indy.gov; kristen.jones@indy.gov; lakeisha.jackson@indy.gov;
michaelpaul.hart@indy.gov; monroegrayjr@gmail.com; keith.graves@indy.gov; jared.evans@indy.gov; ethanevans4indy@gmail.com; mike.dilk424@gmail.com; cristalee1986@gmail.com; ali.brown@indy.gov;
dan.boots@indy.gov; john.barth@indy.gov; joshua.bain@indy.gov; paul.anneed23@gmail.com; zach@adamsonforindy.com
If you live in Indianapolis, click here to find your Councilor .
Letters to State Representative Ed Delaney and State Senator J. D. Ford are also encouraged. Please e-mail them at:
State Senator J.D. Ford s29@iga.in.gov
State Representative Ed DeLaney h86@iga.in.gov
Copy your emails to the Pike Township Residents Association at PTRA1972@aol.com so the full list of letters can be assembled and presented to the Council.
A letter template made by the Indiana Forest Alliance can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1p7_T3jgGXLSz_mhpRuLhbmdzVndrq4zz/edit?blm_aid=11200513
To put an opposition sign in your yard or volunteer to help, please contact IFA’s Forests for Indy Director, Lori Perdue at: lori@indianaforestalliance.org
Photo Courtesy of Indiana Forest Alliance.