On Thursday, September 5, the Plainfield Plan Commission voted 6-1 to approve rezoning forested parcels, potentially home to the endangered Indiana Bat, for warehouse construction. The Town Council will vote on Sept. 23 to officially change the zoning and move one step closer to destroying this 60 acre, environmentally-sensitive forest.
Plainfield residents upset by this development showed up at the Plan Commission hearing to express their opposition. They have now formed Forests for Plainfield, in coalition with the Indiana Forest Alliance, to fight for Plainfield’s forests and open spaces and limit further warehousing in already “warehoused-out” Plainfield.
We ask all Plainfield residents to use this form to contact their Town Council members.
Please plan to attend the Town Council meeting on Monday, September 23. RSVP here.
Despite the favorable recommendation vote from the Plan Commission, the Staff Report from city planners warned Plainfield’s elected officials that, “Given the noise, odor, light, and traffic concerns, it seems incongruous to place distribution facilities next to a nature park. One typically does not go to a natural area to be reminded of the man-made concerns they seek to escape.”
Despite short notice, the public showed up to oppose the rezoning Thursday.
No one testified in support of the development except for the developer’s highly-paid land-use attorney.
In total, about 20 residents showed up to testify verbally or with their presence against this rezoning. Social media reaction in the 54,000-person Plainfield Chatter Facebook group was also fiercely opposed to the rezoning.
This property is adjacent to the Plainfield Nature Park Master Plan area. Residents and town leaders hope to create a sizable regional park there. This area is also home to the endangered Indiana Bat. Echo Hollow Nature Park is a beloved, already existing 200-acre nature park less than a mile away. The Town of Plainfield recently renamed Echo Hollow park from its previous name Sodalis Nature Park, after MYOTIS SODALIS, the scientific name of the Indiana Bat.
Plainfield Residents: Use this form to contact your Town Council members
Click here to RSVP for the Sept. 23 Council meeting
