GREENFIELD — The city plan commission will consider an addition to the city’s comprehensive plan on Monday, July 13, but a detail included in the document reminiscent of a dispute 12 years ago has sparked fresh concern among some homeowners.
The commission will be presented with a draft of an updated Greenfield Thoroughfare Plan, which lays out potential changes that could be made to local roads over the next several decades. Such projects are not funded or even planned for the immediate future. The plan would also need to be approved by the Greenfield City Council.
The document, available on the Planning and Building section of the city’s website at greenfieldin.org, contains dozens of potential projects that could be considered within the next 20 to 30 years.
One street highlighted on the map in the plan has been considered for expansion in the past and met with fierce opposition. A McClarnon Drive extension from State Street to Apple Street appears in the document as a potential “minor collector” that could divert traffic away from main roads on the north side of Greenfield. It’s one of eight recommended projects to add capacity to the city, alongside plans like widening New Road, McKenzie Road and Franklin Street.
“The McClarnon extension is just a proposed project within a larger vision,” city engineer Jason Koch said.
Still, some neighbors already are nervous.
In 2008, Greenfield considered extending McClarnon Drive in the same manner. Citing environmental concerns, impact on home values and other concerns, homeowners close to the proposed extension objected and even hired an attorney to represent them. The Greenfield City Council ultimately voted down the proposal.
Koch, who did not work for the city in 2008, said McClarnon Drive is among many streets that could help take pressure off Greenfield’s few major artery roads, which are used by commuters traveling to and from the Interstate 70/State Street interchange. The corridor also has long been the city’s retail hub.
“Most people go to work and come back from work via the interstate, so we’re looking to alleviate the congestion on State Road 9,” Koch said.
As part of the process of developing the Thoroughfare Plan, a consultant created a computer simulation based on current traffic patterns and development in the city to project Greenfield’s future needs. That highlighted the northeast side of town, where McClarnon Drive is located, as an area of current and future growth. Koch said 2,000 residential units have been added to that quadrant of Greenfield in the past 10 years.
Several residents in the area — many of whom were also involved in discussion about the project in 2008 — were unhappy to see the issue come up again. Sandy Miller, who has lived in the Walnut Ridge neighborhood for 27 years, said she was “shocked” to see the proposal.
“I think it will be unsightly and unsafe and decrease our property values,” she said.
Mike Pfeiffer, another resident, said the extension would likely attract heavy, fast traffic. He suggested that if the city wanted a bypass option for State Road 9, one should be created that circumvents Greenfield completely.
Residents also expressed worries that the project could lead to eminent domain takeover of parts, or all, of some people’s property. Koch said the city would need to purchase right-of-way if the project was pursued but would offer a fair market price and try to avoid eminent domain.
“It’s a power that we have, but it’s not necessarily something we like to use all the time,” he said.
Koch emphasized that the city would need both funding and environmental permits to proceed with any of the projects proposed in the Thoroughfare Plan. In order to apply for federal funding on a road project, it must be included in the city’s comprehensive plan.
At its Monday meeting, a public hearing will be held on the plan. The Greenfield Advisory Plan Commission can vote to approve, amend or reject it as presented. If it moves forward, the Greenfield City Council will have the final vote on whether to include it in the comprehensive plan.
The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at the city hall council chambers, and comments will be accepted both in person and virtually. For more information on virtual attendance, visit greenfieldin.org. Questions about the Thoroughfare Plan can be directed to the city’s engineering department at 317-477-4320.
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The Greenfield Advisory Plan Commission will hold a public hearing on the proposed Thoroughfare Plan during its meeting Monday, July 13. The meeting will start at 7 p.m. in the city hall council chambers.
Comments from the public will be accepted both in person and virtually.
For information on virtual attendance, and to read the plan, visit greenfieldin.org.
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Eight projects aimed at improving traffic flow on major roadways are recommended in the draft Thoroughfare Plan for the city of Greenfield. They are:
• Franklin Street as three-lane road from New Road to Davis Road.
• McClarnon extension from the terminus east of State Street to Apple Street, as a minor collector.
• Park Avenue extension from Apple Street to Blue Road.
• McKenzie Road as a three-lane road from Meridian Road to Jaycie Phelps Drive.
• A new street, Jason Road, from New Road to McKenzie Road on the west side of State Street. This would act as a frontage road for State Street and includes an area where Hancock Health plans to build a satellite campus.
• Widen County Road 300N from Fortville Pike to State Street to three lanes.
• Widen New Road from State Street to County Road 400E to three lanes.
• Widen Blue Road to three lanes from Main Street to New Road.
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