Bargersville meeting offers different view of the future of a portion of WRT

Click to view video: Meeting Video Now Available Online

Monday night’s meeting of the Bargersville Town Council moved them one step further down State Road 144 towards voluntary annexation. The meeting allowed rural White River Township to listen, learn and speak about the plan to keep the rural southern part of the county rural by joining voluntarily with Bargersville.

The plan would provide ten year property tax abatement for the area along 144 toward State Road 37 (see map here). The action began at the request of approximately 70 property owners in the area who do not want to be included in any possible reorganization of the area that would make them residents of Greenwood.  Some questions from area residents came in advance of the meeting and were addressed, as best the council could, in a “Public Information Sheet” distributed at the meeting. You can view the document at this link.

“Leave us alone” was not only clearly stated but a continuing theme throughout the public comments. Third generation rural resident Craig Morris stated “If the time comes we want to go with Bargersville.” He believes Bargersville understands his needs better than a new Greenwood.

Bargersville consultant Mike Shaver (view video clip here) addressed many of the issues speaking on his behalf and not that of the board. With Greenwood considering another lawsuit against Bargersville town council member were guarded in their statements and let their lawyer and Mr. Shaver explain the situation.

The council made some minor revisions to the first reading of the ordinance passed at the last meeting exempting 10 parcels of land from the annexation proposal (view video clip of Bargersville’s legal council recommendation here). All the parcels are at the corner of Saddle Club and Whiteland Road. Five of the parcels are already included in a previous Bargersville annexation plan and five may fall within the three mile buffer zone of Greenwood. Rather than incur the legal cost should Greenwood decide to file suit over the five parcels Bargersville chose to drop them from the proposal.

One resident questioned the action of the council wanting to know why he was not notified of the council’s action at the last meeting. Bargersville’s legal explained that the actions where just the first steps in the process. After the council makes a formal annexation proposal all land owners in the area will receive a written notice of the proposed annexation, along with maps and complete details a minimum of 60 days in advance of a hearing on the proposed annexation. State law requires that at least 51% of the owners of the parcels of land in the proposed voluntary annexation area consent to the annexation.

Towards the end of the meeting Bargersville introduces their new Director of Development Jonathan Isaacs. Mr. Isaacs has been involved in a number of development projects including the town of Fishers. Although only on the job for three weeks he pledged complete cooperation with anyone who had questions about the future of Bargersville and how the plans for growth might affect them and their property.

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