Several residents spoke in favor of and against the proposed Lindley Run single-family development on 106.5 acres at the southeast corner of 196th Street and Grassy Branch Road at the Oct. 1 Advisory Plan Commission meeting.
If approved, the development would bring single-family residences, duplexes and townhomes. Originally, the development was proposed to provide a more affordable price point, which would allow for housing to begin in the $150,000 price range.
Eric Lohe, the lead pastor at Crossroads Church in Westfield, spoke on behalf of the church’s congregation. The church is at the northeast corner of 191st Street and Grassy Branch Road, just blocks from the proposed development.
“We have looked over this proposal, and the elders of our church believe this will be a great addition to our community, and we look forward to having additional neighbors around us,” Lohe said. “We do minister and care for a number of students and young people who are looking for homes, ones who are in college who would like to finish school and return and live and also own quality homes in this area.”
Others were displeased with the development, with one neighbor saying she would rather see a trailer park in the area with larger lot sizes. Other concerns centered around traffic flow, but if the proposal’s rezone is approved, a traffic study would be conducted to determine what requirements would be needed for road infrastructure.
APC member Steve Hoover, who also serves on the city council, said Westfield would be in trouble if more affordable homes didn’t become available.
“We have been targeting high-priced homes, which have a lot of advantages for the city, but we are realizing we are not providing a mix of housing that accommodates many of our teachers, our public safety workers or our tourist industry,” he said. “Many of our businesses are having a very hard time hiring employees, and we are out actively searching for additional businesses to come to Westfield to further diversify our tax base. But if we don’t have places for their workers to live, we are going to have some serious problems.”
For more, visit westfield.in.gov.
