By Ann Marie Shambaugh
As several town departments prepare to move across a parking lot to a new town hall building this fall, two others could make a move across town in three to four years.
The Zionsville Town Council approved a resolution March 6 to purchase two parcels of land on S 875 East that are expected to be the future home for the streets and parks departments. Currently, those departments share a 31,000-square-foot building with the Zionsville Police Dept. at 1075 Parkway Drive.
“The growth of the town could not accommodate those departments as we move forward,” Mayor Tim Haak said to the council. “They are at maximum capacity as we speak. They are storing equipment outside, which is exposed to the elements.”
Officials determined the easiest plan of action was to move the streets and parks departments and allow ZPD to expand into the entire building. Haak said ZPD won’t have any trouble utilizing the additional space.
“The need (for more room) is really, really close right now, especially with some of the new hires,” Haak said. ZPD plans to add seven officers and an administrative assistant in the next three years.
The parcels, at 4102 and 4140 S 875 East, are near Heritage Trail Park. One was formerly home to Rail Trail Gardens Event Center; the other is an associated residential property. They total approximately 12 acres and are adjacent to an additional 13 acres already owned by the town.
Town officials said that storage buildings on the sites will be used immediately after the sale to store street and park department equipment. Additional facilities may be constructed in the future to house department offices. The town expects to develop a land plan to guide future use of the property.
Final costs have not been determined, but Haak said the average of two appraisals for the properties was approximately $757,000.
