The site development plan for a proposed commerce park in northwest Shelby County passed through the Plan Commission Tuesday but not without consternation from two of the commission members.

The commerce park proposed by Sunbeam I-74, LLC, includes four warehouses on approximately 300 acres near the Pleasant View exit along Interstate 74 near the Shelby County-Marion County line.

The site development plan was approved by a 5-1 vote, with Charity Mohr voting against the proposal. With only six of the nine commission members in attendance, Sunbeam’s plan needed five of six votes to progress on to the technical review phase.

Despite his frustration with the process, commission member Nick Hartman voted “yes” along with Chris Ross, Terry Smith, Scott Gabbard and Jordan Caldwell.

Commission members Taylor Sumerford, Kevin Carson and Mike McCain were not in attendance.

Neither Hartman nor Mohr were against the proposed commerce park but more concerned about neighboring residents in the area of Shelby County that is quickly developing with industrial projects like the Five Below distribution center.

Drainage issues created by the Five Below facility as well as the Walmart Distribution Center fire in Plainfield earlier this year were topics of discussion Tuesday with relation to Sunbeam’s proposal.

Residents from Shelby County and Marion County spoke for nearly an hour about the current flooding problems created by these types of industrial projects as well as future flooding and potential damage to the Driftwood Watershed.

Hartman twice apologized to Sunbeam representatives at the meeting for the project being compared to Five Below’s massive warehouse, which is located south of the proposed I-74 commerce park. But Hartman felt the flooding issues were a concern that needed to be addressed.

There are already questions of how to fund more fire personnel and emergency services equipment in the Pleasant View area to handle a large-scale warehouse fire. If Sunbeam’s project reaches fruition within its proposed 5-6 year timeline, there will be six warehouses located in an area serviced by one small fire department that does not have a ladder truck to reach the roof of any of the warehouses.

The purpose of Tuesday’s meeting was only to approve the site development plan. That frustrated Hartman because the commission has no control of potential issues that may arise in the future such as flooding.

Several residents at the meeting including a representative of the more than 1,300 members of the Northwest Shelby County Concerned Citizens Coalition asked for the vote Tuesday to be postponed until early 2023 so that more study could be completed on potential flooding issues and damage to the area’s watershed.

“It seems like especially in that area that drainage (problems) come up, and I know it’s not our jurisdiction but I will say on their behalf it is frustrating to think I don’t have any jurisdiction over that, but if I pass this I am allowing the possibility, and I know you (Sunbeam) are not related, but speaking on behalf of these citizens and another Five Below incident … how do you rightfully sit here and make that decision?” said Mohr to county planning director Desiree Calderella. “I am conflicted. How do I assure them?”

Calderella explained the process and Hartman followed up with more questions about the technical review committee and the process that will follow.

“We are just reviewing preliminary plans at this point,” said Calderella.

Hartman expressed the preference to have the technical review committee findings in front of him before approving the site plan.

“So what you are voting on is not that it meets all the technical plans, it’s that it meets the zoning codes,” said Calderella.

Mohr responded, “We have something that was built to meet our ordinances (Five Below) with the drainage board and there is a drainage issue and there has always been a drainage issue there so how do we assure these residents that we are taking that into consideration?”

“So if we vote yes, where is their voice?” followed Hartman. “I don’t feel comfortable with that. I’m not saying I am against this (project) by any means, but I feel like I need more information.”

“I get where you are coming from because there are those technical issues that aren’t being presented right now,” explained Calderella. “But, right now, the way the ordinances are set up, those are addressed at the technical review committee.”

Plan commission president Terry Smith explained that projects like this go through all the necessary steps to completion. More detailed drainage plans, design plans, landscaping and safety measures are discussed in later steps of the process.

Other concerns addressed Tuesday included a Marion County representative presenting data that 37 warehouses have been built in Indiana in 2022. Seventeen were empty and five more were abandoned, he stated.  

Concern also was raised about companies leaving warehouses after the agreed-upon tax abatement period expired.

Sunbeam currently has three other commerce park projects in Indiana. Those are located in Monrovia and Franklin while a third is underway in Whitestown.