Whoa hoss.
Want to send the horse country gentry galloping into a lather?
Mention the possibility of an interchange with Cooper Road and I-865.
Over the past six months, the Zionsville Transportation Plan Steering Committee has been discussing alternatives to get traffic in-and-out of Zionsville. It's all part of updating the Transportation Plan to fit with the town's revised land use plan.
The engineering firm of HNTB is under contract with the Metropolitan Planning
Organization (MPO) to develop the updated transportation and land use plan for Zionsville. The MPO is a quasi-governmental body comprised of representatives of Marion, and the doughnut counties, which passes on transportation projects to the Indiana Department of Transportation and federal highway agencies.
Members of the steering committee are: Tim Haak, Art Harris, Judith Essex, Chad Sweeney, Chad Pittman, Larry Jones, Jim Longest, John Ottensman, and Sanjay Patel; together with MPO members Stephanie Belch, Cat Schoenherr; Ed Mitro, Lance Lantz and Terry Jones, of the town's staff; John Myers and Matt Miller, of HNTB.
The interchange at Cooper and I-865 was ``introduced as part of the long-range transportation plan'' in 1988 and has been pretty much dormant until this latest go-round.
Since then, residents of southwestern Boone County, who have large tracts of land devoted to raising, training and boarding horses, have sought to protect the bucolic landscape. This was accomplished by the creation of special zoning - R-E1 - and having the area declared a rural historic district by Indiana Historic Landmarks, all of which was privately funded by the landowners.
One of the prime jewels of the area is the internationally acclaimed, annual Traders Point Hunt Charity Horse Show, which has been privately sponsored and organized over the years by the Johnson family - the late Sylvester Johnson, his wife, Liz and son, Johnny.
Cooper Road dissects the heart of this equine district, dead ending at Indiana 334 - its northern terminus. South of I-865, Cooper Road ends at 88th Street in Marion County.
Residents of the country north of I-865 are concerned, and rightly so, that the traffic generated by an interchange at Cooper Road will not only greatly decrease property values, but seriously damage what they have created. They can honestly argue that gas stations at an interchange won't lend to the bucolic atmosphere.
Viewing the interchange and what will surely follow from a strictly transportation perspective, the interstate connection makes sense because it would siphon vehicles away from Ford and Zionsville roads and reduce traffic congestion in the village.
But, when and if the plan is accepted, the results would be disastrous to the area - the eventual widening of Cooper Road to accommodate increased traffic volumes - driving a stake through the heart of a special part of rural Zionsville and Boone County.
But, before getting too exercised, the Transportation Plan will have to be approved by the Zionsville Town Council. And, if the Price administration turns a deaf ear to the horse country folks and approves the plan, bet the farm that money will be no object in funding opponents to oust those voting for it.
Want to send the horse country gentry galloping into a lather?
Mention the possibility of an interchange with Cooper Road and I-865.
Over the past six months, the Zionsville Transportation Plan Steering Committee has been discussing alternatives to get traffic in-and-out of Zionsville. It's all part of updating the Transportation Plan to fit with the town's revised land use plan.
The engineering firm of HNTB is under contract with the Metropolitan Planning
Organization (MPO) to develop the updated transportation and land use plan for Zionsville. The MPO is a quasi-governmental body comprised of representatives of Marion, and the doughnut counties, which passes on transportation projects to the Indiana Department of Transportation and federal highway agencies.
Members of the steering committee are: Tim Haak, Art Harris, Judith Essex, Chad Sweeney, Chad Pittman, Larry Jones, Jim Longest, John Ottensman, and Sanjay Patel; together with MPO members Stephanie Belch, Cat Schoenherr; Ed Mitro, Lance Lantz and Terry Jones, of the town's staff; John Myers and Matt Miller, of HNTB.
The interchange at Cooper and I-865 was ``introduced as part of the long-range transportation plan'' in 1988 and has been pretty much dormant until this latest go-round.
Since then, residents of southwestern Boone County, who have large tracts of land devoted to raising, training and boarding horses, have sought to protect the bucolic landscape. This was accomplished by the creation of special zoning - R-E1 - and having the area declared a rural historic district by Indiana Historic Landmarks, all of which was privately funded by the landowners.
One of the prime jewels of the area is the internationally acclaimed, annual Traders Point Hunt Charity Horse Show, which has been privately sponsored and organized over the years by the Johnson family - the late Sylvester Johnson, his wife, Liz and son, Johnny.
Cooper Road dissects the heart of this equine district, dead ending at Indiana 334 - its northern terminus. South of I-865, Cooper Road ends at 88th Street in Marion County.
Residents of the country north of I-865 are concerned, and rightly so, that the traffic generated by an interchange at Cooper Road will not only greatly decrease property values, but seriously damage what they have created. They can honestly argue that gas stations at an interchange won't lend to the bucolic atmosphere.
Viewing the interchange and what will surely follow from a strictly transportation perspective, the interstate connection makes sense because it would siphon vehicles away from Ford and Zionsville roads and reduce traffic congestion in the village.
But, when and if the plan is accepted, the results would be disastrous to the area - the eventual widening of Cooper Road to accommodate increased traffic volumes - driving a stake through the heart of a special part of rural Zionsville and Boone County.
But, before getting too exercised, the Transportation Plan will have to be approved by the Zionsville Town Council. And, if the Price administration turns a deaf ear to the horse country folks and approves the plan, bet the farm that money will be no object in funding opponents to oust those voting for it.
We need the interchange. If done correctly with overlay zoning we can eliminate commercial development. Good planning and zoning is different from no planning/zoning. Without good planning we risk overloading Ford road and destroying the village and the eastern end of Hunt Club Road.
ReplyDeleteWake up! NO interchange is necessary. What possible good planning can be done in that area unless all cars are air lifted to their destinations! Remember when the 334 bridge was out for months, it created a backlog of traffic on Hunt Club a mile long with people trying to get on to Ford. Police directed traffic for months there. You put in an interchange at Cooper and you WILL recreate a massive back up again for a short cut into town down Hunt Club not to mention the stop lights that would have to be put in, widening of the rural roads, this would be Zville's greatest mistake. It also makes easy acces for more inner-city trouble to come and go in this area not that we have enough as it is. People make it ok into Nashville / Brown County without a special exit...it can stay the same here. If they want an exit somewhere put it on Ford Rd and charge a high TOLL to get off it!, or make it so you can only get on I-865 but cannot exit. (nobody creates a traffic jam in Zionsville by leaving. People worry more about getting out of town than in. Deal with it.
ReplyDeletePlease no more traffic on Ford Road! If you are West of Ford why not drive out to the 65 exit and head back east. The traffic on Ford and East Hunt Club Road is terrible and it is all going West. The traffic through the Village is not coming to the Village it is going West and then further West.
ReplyDeleteThe interchange has been planned for years and as Anson, Stone Gate, Royal Run, West Hunt Club, and Copper Road have developed they have overloaded the Roads within Zionsville Proper.
Forcing traffic backups in the Village and on Ford Road is not a solution. The interchange has been planned for a very long time. Sacrificing the Village of Zionsville to keep cars off Cooper would be a terrible mistake.
The Village is to the East in Zionsville Proper. The Town is to your West and it's called Anson. Deal with it.
Not only will an interchnage mean lower property values and hurt the country setting but more crime. The Cooper road area is already close to 65 and northern Marion county and the troubles of Indy's Northwest side. Just ask the residents of the Enclave, Shannon Springs, and the Hunt Club area. Numerous drug activity has been seen in these neighborhoods. The local authorities are not able to control these issues now. How will they do any better with an interchange?
ReplyDelete