By Chris Bavender
The fastest growing town in Indiana is expanding again. The Indiana Supreme Court on May 5 declined to hear a case involving 620 acres in Perry Township, which allows Whitestown to annex the property. The land was not included in the portion of Perry Township that became part of Zionsville through reorganization in 2015.
The annexation started in 2012, and a $25 million Whitestown wastewater plant was scheduled to be built on the land. Several residents fought the plan, arguing it would increase property taxes. In August 2014, a trial court ruled in favor of the landowners, but the Court of Appeals reversed the decision in July 2015. The wastewater plant opened in September 2015.
“The reason for the annexation was because the town owned the ground, and it was unincorporated, and we wanted the plant to be in the town border,” Whitestown Town Manager Dax Norton said. “The second reason was growth. For the fifth year we have been named the fastest-growing community in the state. That area is approximately 15 1/2 square miles and the Ronald Reagan (Parkway) will come into Boone County through that property. I am sure there will be some sort of commercial growth adjacent to that, which will add to our tax base and keep taxes low and allow us to provide services at a high level.”
Norton said the town has no intention of going into the area and rezoning any of the land.
“That is up to the landowners. If someone sells their ground and wants to rezone it from agriculture to commercial or general business, then so be it,” he said. “We don’t intend on changing any of the zoning – only if the landowner petitions us voluntarily.”
The decision and resolution of the case is a relief, he added.
“I am very excited about the ruling. We have no cases in front of any courts now, so it’s good to not be spending money on those fees,” Norton said. “And, it’s good to know that land is part of our footprint now and the wastewater treatment plant is in our limits.”
