An upcoming public hearing will give residents an opportunity to share their feelings about a proposed development in Franklin Township that would allow the destruction of dozens of acres of wetlands.
[For a recap of House Bill 1383, the source of these wetland woes, read it here.]
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management will hold the public hearing from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 9, at the Edgewood Intermediate School gym, 7620 Edgewood Ave.
Gershman Partners and Citimark Management Co. are hoping to build a $176 million retail area with five warehouses and other amenities near the intersection of County Line Road and Arlington Avenue.
But first they need a wetlands permit.
If the permit is approved, about a quarter-acre of the state’s highest-quality wetlands, known as Class III wetlands, would disappear from the site. More than two dozen acres of lower-quality wetlands also would be destroyed.
Under state law, companies must pay to replace, or mitigate, Class III wetlands that would be destroyed or disturbed during development. The developers have agreed to purchase mitigation credits through the state for 0.61 acres of Class III wetlands, worth about $49,000, according to the Department of Environmental Management.
The money will help officials rebuild the lost wetlands somewhere else in the Upper White Service Area, which stretches from the northernmost point of the White River in Randolph County to the southern tip of Morgan County.
Neither developer responded to Mirror Indy’s requests for comment.
Wetlands serve as habitat for wild animals, purify rainwater and help reduce the risk of flooding in downstream communities. Replacing their functions could cost communities millions of dollars to replicate.
Fewer than 25,000 acres of Class III wetlands, an amount smaller than the size of Disney World, remain in Indiana.
This year, the General Assembly passed House Bill 1383, which reduced the number of wetlands that can qualify as Class III. It’s unclear how many wetland acres would be affected, as the state does not keep a wetlands inventory.
According to IDEM, public comments will remain open until April 14.
To submit a comment, email IDEM regional project manager Graham Wrin at gcwrin@idem.in.gov or call 317-605-4105. Comments should reference the permit application identification number — #IWIP 2023-1011-49-GCW-A-2 — in the email subject line.
Mirror Indy reporter Enrique Saenz covers west Indianapolis. Contact him at 317-983-4203 or enrique.saenz@mirrorindy.org. Follow him on X @heyEnriqueSaenz.