Town of Avon, Indiana

For Immediate Release

Town of Avon Statement

Regarding Plainfield's Annexation in Washington Township of the Proposed Warehouse Development.

(Contact Tom Klein at 272-0948 for more information)

(February 1, 2006)  For the past two years, the Town of Avon has worked to improve relations with the Town of Plainfield. Prior to this time, relations with Avon and Plainfield had become strained due to Plainfield's unsuccessful lawsuit against Avon to provide sewer services inside the Town of Avon. Despite this issue, the Town of Avon recognized that there were items of mutual interest between Avon and Plainfield that warranted good relations between the two Towns.

To this end, the Town Councils of Avon and Plainfield met in a joint meeting to establish a dialog on issues. These issues ranged from public safety mutual aid and dispatching to transportation planning. It was agreed by both Councils that the communities needed to work together on a variety of issues.

During this time, numerous cooperative actions were taken including:

·        Avon and Plainfield engineers working together to review a development proposal in the Town of Avon that was abutting Plainfield town limits and that would impact Plainfield roads.          

·        Avon and Plainfield entering in to an Interlocal Agreement for Plainfield to provide dispatch services for the Avon Police Department.

·        Avon and Plainfield entering in to an Interlocal Agreement for Plainfield to provide water services for the Settlement subdivision that is in Avon town limits.

·        Avon supporting Plainfield's requests for additional federal road funding through the Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization.

·        Avon working with Plainfield and other communities to establish a Master Plan for the Ronald Reagan Parkway.

In 2004, the Town of Avon began discussions with the Town of Plainfield to work together regarding a development proposal from Browning Investments in Washington Township between Avon and Plainfield's town boundaries. In early 2005, the Avon and Plainfield Town Councils agreed to create a subcommittee to discuss the proposed development. Prior to the subcommittee's meeting, staff of both towns prepared a list of issues regarding the proposed development for subcommittee discussion.

In March of 2005, the subcommittee met to discuss the development. The subcommittee consisted of Robin Brandgard and Kent McPhail from the Plainfield Town Council and Eva Yackey and Mike Rogers from the Avon Town Council. Town Managers Rich Carlucci and Tom Klein were also present. At the meeting, it was agreed that both communities would work together regarding this development. Staff was instructed to begin researching financing options for the project.

After March of 2005, Rich Carlucci and Tom Klein met with both Town's financial consultants to discuss financing options for the project. It was agreed that the Town's would need to decide the annexation boundary prior to developing a financing plan for the project.

In August of 2005, the subcommittees met again. The subcommittee instructed staff to draft a letter to Browning regarding the issues identified in the meeting including limiting the time of tax abatement, limiting publicly financed infrastructure improvements to the Ronald Reagan Parkway and County Road 200 South, requiring Browning to make bond payments until revenue from the TIF District is sufficient to pay the bonds and asking Browning to provide a letter of credit to help pay for public financing of the infrastructure.

Staff was also instructed to get a list of properties from Browning that would be included in the development, so the Towns could decide on the annexation boundaries.

In November of 2005, Plainfield amended their Comprehensive Plan to make it comply with Browning Development's proposed development. During Plainfield's amendment process, the Town of Avon requested that the southwest section of the proposed development area in the amendment be changed to match the Town of Avon's new Comprehensive Plan which indicated this area as green space and office space. The Town of Plainfield chose to adopt the amendment as presented which resulted in Plainfield's Comprehensive Plan identifying 60 acres of the proposed Browning Development as residential.

In November and December, the Town of Avon contacted the Town of Plainfield to schedule another subcommittee meeting to finalize the letter to Browning and the annexation boundaries. The Town of Avon was unable to secure a meeting date from the Town of Plainfield.

In January of 2006, the Town of Avon continued to attempt to schedule a meeting with the Town of Plainfield but did not receive a response. Individual Council Members attempted to contact Plainfield Council Members but calls were not returned.

According to Tom Klein, Avon Town Manager:

             "The Town of Avon is surprised to learn through the media that the       Town of Plainfield has accepted an annexation petition from Browning         Investments for the entire area proposed for a warehouse development in Washington Township especially after Plainfield assured Avon that         we would work together on the proposed development."

            "This development will adversely impact Avon Schools. We look          forward to the review of this development by Avon Schools and their        position on this development."

            "We are disappointed with this turn of events. Especially, since the         Town of Avon has worked hard to prevent residential development             from encroaching in to the proposed development's area and we have   worked to develop a Master Plan for the Ronald Reagan Parkway to          prepare Avon for economic growth."