Residents are working to create a new wetland nature preserve in Franklin Township, but a proposed development is throwing a wrench in their plans.
The 45-acre area near 8600 Combs Road is a sensitive biosystem located in an area primed for commercial development. Saving the area is complicated because there are multiple owners and different visions for the property.
“It is a phenomenal natural habitat,” said southsider Robin Heldman, “and that’s why I’m so passionate about saving it. There are not very many of those types of natural ecosystems still in Marion County, especially in the Franklin Township area.”
Rapidly vanishing across Indiana due to neighborhoods and commercial development, wetlands help prevent flooding by collecting water and slowly releasing it to nearby bodies of water. The Franklin Township wetland connects to the Pleasant Run Creek Watershed. That water source is part of the Upper White River Watershed, which drains water from about 27 square miles throughout a large portion of Indianapolis — not just the south side.
Heldman said it’s also a water source for many birds and animals, including some endangered species.
A conceptual plan for a nature preserve near 8600 Combs Road in Franklin Township, designed by Taylor Siefker Williams Design Group. The project is contingent on Wetlands Not Warehouses Franklin Township acquiring the land. (Provided photo/Wetlands Not Warehouses Franklin Township)
According to environment experts, around 80% of the Pleasant Run Creek Watershed is already developed. Residents are determined to save the Combs Road wetland, as it’s “one of the last remaining wetlands of this quality in the Pleasant Creek watershed,” according to Wetlands Not Warehouses Franklin Township, a southside environmental advocacy group.
Over the past few years, Wetlands Not Warehouses Franklin Township has developed plans to preserve a 45-acre section of the southside. The environmental group used a $10,000 donation to pay for a conceptual site plan detailing what it could look like if they’re able to acquire the land. The funds came from Gershman Partners and Citimark County Line Partnership, which is constructing a warehouse near different areas of the wetland.
Heldman, a committee chair for Wetlands Not Warehouses Franklin Township, said Indy Parks is also supportive of a nature preserve if they can get the land donated, but there are a lot of barriers.
Punjab Property Inc., a semi-truck and tractor repair company, wants to build a facility on wetlands near the proposed nature preserve. In response to community pushback, Patrick Rooney, an attorney who represents Punjab Property Inc., said the company plans to redesign initial plans for its 10-acre site, leaving much of the wetland untouched.
The group was granted a continuance during a May 28 zoning meeting, pushing the hearing examiner’s decision back to July 9.
Even if Punjab Property Inc. modifies its plans, advocates say development on the wetland would directly impact the quality of the remaining area. Wetlands Not Warehouses Franklin Township applied for grants that could help acquire the wetland, but Heldman said land owners will probably want around $2.5 million, or more.
“I don’t blame them for wanting top dollar for their land,” Heldman said. “They know what they were offered from a developer, so it’s hard to ask them to settle for less when they know that they’ve been offered that.”
How to get involved
Public comment
Submit comments to the city by email at planneroncall@indy.gov.
Franklin Township Civic League’s Land Use Committee
🗓️ 6:30 p.m. June 17
📍 Franklin Township Civic League, 8822 Southeastern Ave.
Next steps
Residents have a few opportunities to learn more about the development.
The next meeting for Franklin Township Civic League’s Land Use Committee is 6:30 p.m. June 17 at Franklin Township Civic League, 8822 Southeastern Ave.
Comments for or against the proposed development by Punjab Property Inc. can be emailed to the city at planneroncall@Indy.gov.
The Metropolitan Development Commission’s hearing examiner is expected to recommend or deny the proposal at its 1 p.m. meeting July 9 at the City-County Building, 200 E. Washington St.
Donations for the proposed nature preserve can be submitted to the Franklin Township Civic League, specifying that the funds are for Wetlands Not Warehouses Franklin Township.
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Mirror Indy reporter Elizabeth Gabriel covers the south side of Marion County. Contact her at elizabeth.gabriel@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X at @_elizabethgabs.
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