Ball State Gives Clermont Growth Suggestions


(posted Dec 20)

Ball State University College of Architecture graduate students presented four suggestions from their quality of life report to the Clermont Steering Committee to help revitalize the town. Approximately fifteen people attended the Dec 17 meeting.

The report is part of the compilation that came from 100 surveys received out of 1,000 distributed in and near the town. Resident Linda Lucas was concerned that more non-residents than residents are giving input to change. The BSU students considered any input as an asset to the plan in hopes that future redevelopment would drive nearby residents into town. College of Architecture and Planning Executive Director Scott Truex said the nearby residents would consider themselves part of the town and probably many do not know if they live in or out of town because the corporate limits include both Pike and Wayne Townships.

The students spoke about concepts that would bring economic vitality and curb appeal to the town through transportation, land use potential, leadership and creating a sense of identity within the town, which as been losing population since the 1950s. He recommended the town control its destiny instead of letting change happen from outside influences. The survey results also included that at least 20 percent of those responding think leadership needs to improve.

The report focused on the necessity of leadership. Strong public management leadership will be important to establish relationships with other agencies for funding to make revitalization happen. Truex suggested that a town manager can help with the daily operations to establish these relationships better than council members that are often preoccupied with their regular jobs.

The report focused on providing better parking accommodations as well as establishing a public private partnership to buy land or lease properties to maximize development. Clermont's growth and tax based are basically stunted with its land locked boundaries. The inability to expand the corporate limits places extra pressures on the current estimated 1,400 residents to fund town services.

The town's current priority is trying to cope with its proposed $391,000 contract with Wayne Township for fire fighting services in 2008. Lucas said it is difficult to plan for the future with a fire bill that has jumped four fold since 2006 when it was $80,000. The astronomical amount gives the town little wiggle room to plan for more just than basic services. Even with grant monies, Lucas does not see the town having the ability to afford to pay its 20 percent match that is usually required for grant money

Truex said dissolving the town might be one option, or to work with Indianapolis to annex subdivisions to be able to increase its tax base to pay for town services.

The report suggested Clermont's characteristics are similar to Nashville and Zionsville for the quaint feeling it offers. The report highlighted the different methods that Nashville and Zionsville engaged in to have successful village centers. Nashville used tourism to pull people to the village center while Zionsville used more of a local community method. The report considered these two towns might be worthy of Clermont to model.

The plan recommended Clermont establish a village center in the heart of Clermont to draw people to the town. It named car lots as an inappropriate use for a village center while displaying a picture of Vintage and Vase, an antique store, as an appropriate use.

The report focused on different aspects of transportation that examined moving people rather than cars by providing more sidewalks and creating an environment that is more conducive for walking and bicycling.

The goal is to slow people down so they'll stop in the Clermont to spend their money. Planners now think about how to move people rather than moving cars through as fast as possible. The quality of life in local residential areas needs to be protected rather than putting them at risk to push traffic quickly through town. Truex said residential areas in Indianapolis are putting pressure on commuters to slow down.

Township Assessor Mike McCormack raised the issue that US 136 is so traffic congested that people don't stop because it takes forever to work their way back onto the road. He said that Clermont has no available land to provide alternate traffic routes. He explained the other east-west major corridors are just as traffic congested and can't serve as an alternative relief route for US 136.

Truex challenged McCormack's comments, saying that he was painting a bleak picture with no solutions.

Graduate Student Dan Batta chimed to the conversation with more of an angry tone and told McCormack to quit complaining. He also told McCormack they were not there to debate the issue.

On December 18, McCormack questioned why the presenters were so defensive and took his comments as a negative when he was just describing the present traffic problem. He said the best looking building facades will not draw people to stop if ingress and egress to US 136 remains the same. McCormack contends "an agenda" must exist for Ball State to be so defensive over his observations, although Truex said the study had not cost the town any money and no contract has been signed. He indicated the town is not responsible for any of the work done so far.

Resident Linda Backus agreed with McCormack at the meeting, saying that people don't even stop for gas for fear of time delays to get back onto US 136.

Doug Banning of Miller Pipeline was concerned about development along US 136 since it is a state controlled road. Truex replied that it is not unusual for the state to relinquish control to towns for revitalization purposes.

Graduate student Corrie Meyer indicated that US 40 in Terre Haute and 431 in Carmel were other examples where the state allowed the local government have control. Carmel received control to carry out its plans for roundabouts on US 431.