Further consideration for the NorthPoint II planned unit development is on hold until April, as city staff and a task force of area residents continue talks.
The proposed 180-acre NorthPoint II commercial/industrial development north of Ind. 38 and east of Anthony Road is being developed by Holladay Construction Group. The project was shelved by the Westfield City Council in 2022 after an unfavorable recommendation from the Westfield Advisory Plan Commission but returned for consideration in February. NorthPoint is proposing to expand the existing commerce park south of Ind. 38.
Neighbors to the property have objected to the expansion, but Mayor Scott Willis has been working with those residents to come up with a plan amenable to everyone, including adding a 10-acre tree-line buffer between the development and Anthony Road. A task force made up of residents adjacent to the development along Anthony Road in Westfield and Hinkle Road in Noblesville was also formed.
During a public hearing before the Advisory Plan Commission on March 4, residents said they want the development to be built responsibly, with those existing homes in mind.
“We just want it to appeal to the senses. We don’t want to see it, we don’t want to smell it, we don’t want to hear it, we don’t want to taste it,” said James Hogan, representing neighbors in Hinkle Creek Estates in Noblesville, adding that the talks with the task force have included commitments from the developer and the city to limit light pollution, building heights and colors and building uses.
Anthony Road residents had similar concerns that require further consideration before the PUD can move forward for approval.
“No one in the Anthony Road residential area is excited about the possibility of an industrial park, and just for the record, we’re still not excited about it,” said Wayne Wheeler, representing Anthony Road residents at the public hearing. “However, the mayor has been very honest with us and he appreciates our disappointment, and at the same time believes that this is the right development for Westfield.”
Wheeler said that while the task force feels their points are being heard, there is still more work to be done.
The APC will continue discussions at the April 1 meeting.
