By Gus Pearcy
After overwhelming public comment in favor of a proposed $15.5 million youth athletic field, the Brownsburg Town Council voted to table an ordinance on a bond issue to fund the new park. On a 4-1 vote, the council members said they wanted more information and to hold a public meeting to be more transparent with the public.
The March 11 meeting lasted 3 hours and 45 minutes and covered three major initiatives, including a planned development south of the B&O Trail on Green Street and the funding for a sanitary sewer capital project.
Yet, there was considerable time spent on public comment for an ordinance authorizing the bond issue to build an athletic ballfield complex that would become the home of Brownsburg Little League and Brownsburg Girls Softball League. The project was initially green-lighted in December when the council approved a term sheet for the youth sports facility to be built on land at the corner of county roads 700 N and 900 E. The council also approved the purchase of 106 acres from the Brownsburg School Corporation and the initial design of the 40-acre complex for $539,000.
The term sheet laid out the payback promised by Brownsburg Little League and Brownsburg Girls SLO-Pitch League. There was a flurry of opposition posts on the Brownsburg Chatter Facebook page, and council members said they received 400 emails split 50-50 for or against the measure.
Council president Travis Tschaenn convinced the council to hold a public meeting next week to answer some of the public’s questions. No meeting time has been announced.
The ordinance was tabled to be brought back up March 25. The second reading could not happen before April 8 after the Redevelopment Commission meets.
Read more in the March 26 Hendricks County ICON.
