MONTGOMERY COUNTY COMP PLAN PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT DATA May 22, 2018

RE: WORKSHOP #2 RAW DATA COLLECTED TABLETOP EXERCISE: LIKES AND DISLIKES

LIKES

Natural Resources/Parks

• Shades state park x21

• Sugar Creek x30

• I can see the stars at night

• Clear sky – no red lights

• Nature x3

• Recreational options

• Trail on sugar creek

• Turkey Run State Park x3

• Lake Waveland x3

• Lake Holiday x6

• Golf courses x2

• Parks

• Hiking/bike trail x3

• Milligan Park x5

• Rails to trails

• City Pool

• Natural Beauty x2

• Commerce Park

• Trees

• Wildlife

Agriculture

• Agriculture x7

• Farm ground/crops x2

• Bulling on our farm ground

• Five generation family farm

• Montgomery County has been the number one community for agriculture production for over100 years.

• Farming community

• Agribusiness

DRAFT

Rural

• Scenic x2

• Small town x16

• Peace x3

• Rural community x15

• Quiet country side x5

• Wide open spaces x5

• Country living x2

• Gorgeous vistas of crops x3

• Slower pace

• Scenery throughout the county Government Accountability

• Chamber of commerce

• City Government

• Fiscally responsible county council

• Less government

• Most of the local leaders

• Willingness to at least listen to citizens and their concerns

• Not having government officials dictate what I can and cannot do x2

Wind Farm

• No wind turbines x3 Public Safety/Health

• Public Safety

• Healthcare options

• Joshi Pediatrics

• Safe x3

• Low Crime x3

• Small amounts of violence in small towns

• IUTC x2

• Sheriff’s department x3

• City police department x2

• City and County Fire Fighting

• Safety in rural and city areas

• County police department Education

• Wabash College x17

• Journal Review

DRAFT

• Newspapers the paper of Montgomery County

• Public library x8

• Crawfordsville High School

• School Systems x15

• Caring teachers

• North Montgomery school corporation

• Child care – new beginnings

• Linden Public Library x3

• Education quality

• Crawfordsville Middle School

• South Montgomery High School

• CACHE home school association

• Three School Corporations

• Wabash (but it should be coed) Arts and Culture

• Montgomery County Community Foundation x2

• Ben Hur – General Lew Wallace Museum and Study x11

• Lane Place x8

• Carnegie Museum x2

• Rotary Jail Museum x10

• League of Women Voters

• History x4

• Animal Welfare League

• Strawberry Festival x2

• Farmer’s Market x3

• Ironman Raceway x3

• 4-H Program

• Appreciate our past

• Historical Society

• Community theater

• VFW Post

• Culver Union Hospital was saved

• Camp Rotary

• Victorian History

• Athena Center

• A bit of Amish near Waveland

• Little Mexico

• Individual town activities

• Cultural events (Wabash) x2

DRAFT

Land Use

• No Zoning – County x7

• No comprehensive Plan (the one we have works) x2

• My right to build on my property

• We already have laws in place to protect the community land

• Right to choose where to build

• Ordinances not zoning

• Farm ground controlled by land owners not a zoning board or a comprehensive plan

• No zoning and top down controls

• Close to shopping and dining options Housing

• Housing in the country

• Low cost housing for quality of life x2

• Affordable housing Economic Development

• Business activity

• Local economy

• Nucor Road Corridor x5

• Small businesses x2

• Restaurants

• Many factories for people who choose to work in them x2

• Nucor Steel x5

• Jobs for those wanting to work

• Low unemployment

• Investment

• Workforce

• Sportsman’s club x2

• Nucor steel (prior to planning)

• Thriving businesses in downtown Crawfordsville

• Backstep

• Muffy

• Darlington Covered Bridge

• Alcoa

• Shopping

• Hospital/medical care Infrastructure

• Current roads

• Interstate access x5

DRAFT

• I-74

• Amtrak x4

• Easy to drive around

• Airport x5

• Cheap energy

• No high city utility rates

• Hibernia/Fall Creek Rd.

• Good roads x3

• Underpass on CC road

• Overpass in Linden

• New Clock Tower

• Proximity to main roadways Quality of Life

• Downtown Main Street

• Churches

• Proximity to Indianapolis x13

• Proximity to bigger cities

• Proximity to Champaign Urbana

• Current design

• Cost of living x3

• No neighbors if you don’t want them

• Climate

• Proximity to Lafayette x10

• Family values x2

• Low property taxes x3

• Proximity to Tippecanoe/Boone County – assets without the property taxes

• Ability to attract residents from high tax counties

• Friendly people

• Proximity to Chicago x2

• Walkability of neighborhoods

• Walkable downtown area

• Freedom

• Landowners rights

• Townships deciding their own future

• Family is close

• Darlington

• Friends and neighbors looking out for each other in neighborhoods

• Family like community

• Quality of life x2

• Close to Purdue x2

DRAFT

• Potential

• Size

• Self-standing community and independence

• Ladoga

• Orthodox churches

• Peaceful and healthy areas to build forever homes

• The city of Crawfordsville

• Quiet bedroom community

• Five minutes to get anywhere in town

Social/Community

• Sense of community pride

• Care

• Well balanced community

• Relationships in areas of smaller community

• Generational family involvement

• Community

• People who care

• Home

• Strong community religious faith

• Conservative values

• Neighbors caring for neighbors x2

• Deep roots

• Community events – engaging residents x2

• City leaf collecting

• My house in the country

• My desire to live in the country long term

• Proximity to family/friends

• Don’t live in a city like rats in a maze

• Downtown charm

DISLIKES

Natural Resources/Parks

• Lack of environmental concern from government (air regulations from truck exhaust, tree clearing) x2

• Need more natural conservation initiatives

• Sugar creek not being properly protected from erosion/polluted run-off (farmers)

• Lack of walkway, bike paths, no safe paths x3

• Illegal outdoor burning

• Commerce park x8

DRAFT

• Small number of city parks

• Utilizing Sugar Creek (walking, seating, eating, etc.)

• Sugar creek trail is not connected to downtown or Milligan Park Agriculture

• Farmers abusing land – cutting down tree lines along creeks/streams

• Farming too close to streams

• Farm ground lost for factories

• Not enough support of agriculture community

• Hog farms Rural

• View that we are only a rural farm area Government Accountability

• Government officials not listening to the citizens x11

• Refusal of government officials to protect citizens with property

• Boondogge spending

• 4 million for new fire station while New Market spent 400K

• Control of monetary distributions

• Amount of power the three commissioners hold

• Group politics (same team trying to take over)

• County money wasted on planning

• Public office x2

• Lack of vote

• Too much subsidized everything

• Politicians with only one focus

• Clock tower partially funded with county monies x2

• Good old boys club

• Few people making decisions for all x2

• Plans not moving forward on CDBG grant

• Limited vision of local “city” government

• Small minded government

• Progressive Crawfordsville government x2

• County government

• Lack of political choice – few democrats running for office

Wind Farm

• Possible wind farms x29

• Too many “no wind farm and no zoning” opinions

DRAFT

• Wind farms will drive up utility costs Public Safety/Health

• Drug problems x22

• Need better access to mental health care especially for kids

• Don’t have a good/great hospital currently have to stabilize then transfer

• Lack of doctors

• No delivering hospital (maternity) x3

• Lack of women health care

• Crime getting worse x2

• Lack of funding for law enforcement Education

• Wabash College is all male

• Poor or at least mediocre schools k-12 x3

• Consolidating schools

• No schools in small towns

• Brain drain x2

• Wabash can be more involved in community

• Schools focusing on structures instead of teaching

• Crawfordsville public library Arts and Culture

• Lack of intellectual stimulus for community (clubs, organizations, presentations) x2

• Lack of non-church related community events need more inclusive social opportunities x2

• Ben Hur Building needs to be renovated and used

• Cultural deficiency x3

• “legacy bridge”

• The clock tower Land Use

• Appointed planning and zoning, not elected x5

• Lack of parking downtown

• Lack of preparation for future

• Eyesore parking lot near courthouse

• Lack of zoning x3

• Two-mile zone Housing

• Lack of houses/options x3

• Horrible condition of housing

DRAFT

• Tenant/rent proportion reduction in ownership

• Low income housing Economic Development

• Minimal night life

• Lack of retail shopping x15

• Lack of entertainment x2

• Unavailable workforce

• Lack of high paying (no-factory) jobs x7

• Small business incentives

• Focus on big business

• Lack of food choices

• Lack of growth x2

• Small businesses don’t survive

• Lack of good restaurants x11

• Lack of restaurants in the country

• Factories with shift work

• Declining keystone industry need new business pillars x2

• More diverse resilient economy

• Not enough employment all levels

• No use for empty buildings

• Nucor could be more involved

• Lower wage employers

• Lack of grocery/bakery options x3

• Can’t buy good kids clothing

• Cannot purchase all needs for farming business

• Donnelly north plant

• Southeast Crawfordsville Industrial Area

• CSX Rail siding thought Crawfordsville Infrastructure

• The Parkersburg Spring (1150 South and 231) needs reopened

• Rural areas being declared economic revitalization area

• Narrow streets

• Emergency alert system not working in outlining areas

• Train tracks through the town (need bridge at Market and 32) x2

• Railroad crossings x5

• Better warnings to drivers Re Co Road and state highway intersections

• Roads need repaired x8

• US 231 is a mess

• Lack of development assistance for 4-H fairgrounds

DRAFT

• Poor internet service x9

• No safe paths to schools

• Roads are poorly maintained

• No attractive travel corridor

• Too little public transportation

• No good cell service x10

• Lack of good directional signage

• Hideous billboards on I-74

• Speeding traffic on 32 at 74 east off ramp

• One-way streets

• 231 bisecting city x2

• Difficult access to I-65

• Two lanes from Crawfordsville to Lafayette 231 N x2

• Biking is not friendly on roads

• Traffic downtown x2

• 231 Traffic Quality of Life

• Eastern time zone

• Lack of entertainment of all kinds (kids/family/adult) x5

• Drivers of scooters on the street who cannot get a driver’s license

• Lack of outside seating downtown

• Busiest corner in the county is a parking lot (Market and Washington)

• Overall community involvement of decision making

• ERA designation x2

• Focus on external instead of internal

• Silencing of different opinions

• Needs more entertainment

• Needs vibrant, young energy

• No community gathering places

• No one enjoys downtown

• Buildings run down x4

• Tailgating on 32 and 231

• Low income entitlements that draw population

• Shabby looking points of entry to Crawfordsville on 231, 136, and 32

• Work ethic

• Disregard for property rights x3

• Property taxes went up

• Too much security at court house, can’t go pay without emptying pockets

• Crawfordsville/Montgomery county trying to compete in size with Indianapolis or Chicago x3

• Trash on roadways and ditches x2

DRAFT

• Small towns dwindling

• Pike place has had nothing done to it

• County geared toward elderly

• Taxes x2

• Downtown is not always open on weekends and in evenings

• Not a lot of opportunities in town

• Flashing lights at night

• Noises

• Scrap metal on I-74 Community/Social

• High poverty rate in county

• Negativity in general

• Nothing to do x2

• Kids moving away x3

• Lack of ten commandments on court house

• Closed minded mentality x5

• Don’t even use the word union in the same breath as labor

• Advertisement posters of other community events are not always shared on a poster board area

• Too many people on welfare

• Head in the sand

• Stuck in the past

• Too many people in jail

• Stagnant x2

• Need more inviting downtown

• Don’t look to engage others

• Very little reason to live here with a college degree unless family is here

• Does not invite ownership and value other groups

• Massive church influence

• Fracture in relationships/division of community currently

• Lack of progressive thinking x3

• Lack of diversity of all kinds x2

• Community problems seem to be hushed – not covered by local journalism

DRAFT

BOARD EXERCISES

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE PEOPLE TO DESCRIBE MONTGOMERY COUNTY 20 YEARS FROM NOW? Natural Resources/Parks

• More abundant natural habitat and forests

• Wide open sky lines

• Sugar Creek and other streams restored

• Natural landscape

• Sugar creek river walk

• Plant trees now for future

• Nice recreation areas

• A night sky without flashing red lights x2

• Beautiful skies

• Beautiful

• They are trying to do everything to address climate change

• Wildlife

• Parks and walkways Agriculture

• Strong small agriculture community that supports its citizens

• Agricultural x3

• Hemp capital – grow and process

• Lots of small farms Rural

• Quiet x3

• Rural x9

• A rural farming community that is true to its roots

• Welcoming rural communities Government Accountability

• The county government made a wise decision and banned wind farms twenty years ago

• Respected government officials Wind Farm

• No wind farms x5

• We have windfarms, two in each quadrant

• Productive farmland

DRAFT

• No wind turbines falling down

• People didn’t want wind farms and the government actually listened Public Safety/Health

• Clean x4

• Safe x8

• Low crime

• Low/no drug use x3

• Low suicide rates

• Good healthcare facilities

• Long-term care

• Plenty of doctors Education

• Good schools Arts and Culture

• Diverse in all ways x2 Land Use

• Free to choose our own planning

• A great place to live with a plan

• They were forward thinking with a good plan for a positive future

• A free county without planning, zoning, or windfarms

• No zoning x2 Economic Development

• Quality restaurants to eat without driving to Lafayette or Indy

• High paying jobs available

• Small town connection with some big-city options in housing, entertainment, and dining

• Economic development – distribution centers

• This is not Tippecanoe county. I do not want prime farm ground lost to factories

• More restaurants and shopping

• Growing x2

• Menards

• Aldi

• Sit down restaurants – less fast food

• Subsidized 24-hour child-care

• Huge indoor park for toddlers through elementary school that is free and open extended hours

• Free rec center with coffee shop and food for teens and families

• Good jobs x3

DRAFT

• A place for opportunity x3

• Antiquing mecca

• Growth in actual business that employs our residents

• Controlled economic development Infrastructure

• Subsidized transportation available 24/7 for shift workers Quality of Life

• Grown significantly

• Montgomery county is a prosperous, exciting county

• Welcome to the 2000s

• Kids able to run around and have a “village” to look after them “it takes a village to raise children”

• Great place to live x2

• Free to do what you want on your property

• Lots of free indoor and outdoor family friendly activities

• Affordable living

• Low taxes

Social/Community

• Towns thriving “village-like”

• Kids

• Community

• Welcoming

• Activities for all ages

• Like today

• Open to changes x2

• The county with the most freedoms and liberties

• Rights and true republican values

• Community pride

• Home

• Hometown feel

• Lots to do

• Family friendly x4

• Small town values x4

• Be a community of religious faith

• A county willing to grow and make needed changes x2

• Quaint

• Bedroom community of Indy

• Still in freedom

DRAFT

• Desirable county to raise a family x5

• A place that families can be safe and have the tools to improve individually

• People are openminded

• Kids living in homes with their parents under the same roof

• Progressive x4

• Welcoming to a diverse group of citizens

• Vibrant/fun x4

• Friendly x7

WHAT ARE THE KEY ISSUES MONTGOMERY COUNTY IS FACING TODAY? Natural Resources/Parks

• All the trash in ditches and roadways

• Too many sandwich shops contributing to global warming Agriculture Rural Government Accountability

• Commissioners that listen x5

• Too few of the same people with power

• Listen to a few loud minority not the majority

• Leaders telling property owners what they can do on their on their own property

• Spend on needs not wants

• Oversized government

• Lack o fuse of current resources appropriately

• Don’t trust county officials

• Plan is nice but no evidence government is budgeting to the plan or reporting on progress

• A few people telling all the rest what to do Wind Farm

• Wind turbines x19

• Wind energy companies

• Lack of educated folks about the detriment of wind farms

• 80% of county opposed to wind Public Safety/Health

• No maternity ward

• Drugs x27

• Crime x4

• Poor law enforcement

• Suicide x2

DRAFT

• Mental health care awareness/providers

• Need a comprehensive treatment plan for drug abuse

• No workforce that can pass drug tests x2 Education

• Lack of training in high school for real-life for non -college bound students

• Need good schools

• School taxes $99 million

• Poor public education Arts and Culture

• Lack of diversity Land Use

• Zoning x7

• Opposition to planning “failure to plan is planning to fail”

• Need for comprehensive plan x2

• Property rights infringement

• High percentage none participating land owners trying to protect their land and homes

• Tax increases due to zoning Housing

• Too much subsidized housing in Crawfordsville

• Nice home subdivisions

• Lack of housing options x3

• HUD housing Economic Development

• Retail opportunity jobs x2

• Lack of 24-hour childcare

• Lack of jobs x2

• Financial – how do we pay for more things

• Start supporting the existing businesses

• Lack of people who want to work

• Lack of high paying jobs x6

• Shrinking tax base

• Shrinking incomes (per capita)

• Inability to retain new small businesses

• More jobs in area to keep people from working out of county

• Lack of big industry

• Lack of quality jobs to keep our kids here

DRAFT

Infrastructure

• Transportation

• No plans for sewage lines, power, fiber optics, internet/cell service

• Roads x3

• Sidewalks x3

• Dangerous for pedestrians and bikers

• Bad service at Lake Holiday

• No road improvement by County Quality of Life

• Need conservative leaders

• Lack of childcare accepting vouchers

• Taxes x2

• Perception that Montgomery county is unwilling to think of the common good

• Lack of 21st century/progressive thinking/attitudes

• Property taxes nearly doubled

• Middle class standards x2

• Growth

• Welfare Social/Community

• Lack of positive activities and gathering spaces for youth (especially teens) x2

• Lack of activities for returning young people

• Lack of progressive growth

• 1950s mentality

• Boredom

• Narrowmindedness

• Resistance to change

• Youth leaving

• Stagnation

• Unwillingness to consider changes

• Poverty x2

• People who want change for the sake of change

• Lack of appeal to youth and families with children x8

DRAFT

WHY DO PEOPLE CHOOSE TO LIVE IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY? Natural Resources/Parks

• Beautiful

• Natural areas

• Sugar creek x2

• Parks x3

• Bird wildlife

• Lakes

• Clean skies

• Views

• Clear skies to see the stars to see the moon rise and the sunset Agriculture

• Agriculture x4

• Five generations or more farms Rural

• Open country x4

• Rural x12 Wind Farm

• No wind farms x12

• That there might be windfarms Public Safety/Health

• Low crime x5

• Safe x2

• Excellent hospital Education

• Schools x5

• Wabash College x4

• Museums

• Fabulous library Arts and Culture

• Landmark buildings

• Access to culture (Wabash) x2 Land Use

DRAFT

• No zoning x5

• No landfill

• No planning

• Property rights Housing

• Beautiful old homes

• Good housing Economic Development

• Job doesn’t transfer

• Jobs

• Plenty of business

• Job here moved here from out of state – stayed Infrastructure

• No traffic x2

• Close to major highways Quality of Life

• Peaceful x3

• Affordable cost of living x11

• Quiet x5

• Location x3

• Welfare is readily available

• Low taxes x5

• Some entertainment options

• Close to larger town

• No large cities

• Close to Indy and Lafayette x2 Social/Community

• Community involvement of high importance and impact

• Lived here all of their life

• Friendly x3

• Nice old community

• Following spouse

• Hometown feel x2

• Family x8

• Freedom x2

• Church

DRAFT

• Nice place to live

• Reasonable

• Country folk

• Wonderful people

• Small towns x10

• Good neighbors

• A sense of community

• They’ve always lived here

WHAT KEEPS PEOPLE FROM CHOOSING TO LIVE IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY? Natural Resources/Parks

• No ATV trails

• Renewable energy sources Government Accountability

• City of Crawfordsville running county

• “Old boy” politics x2

• Public officials who don’t do what they promised before election Wind Farm

• Wind turbines x20 Public Safety/Health

• Drug use x4

• Not enough law enforcement for crime rate Education

• Poor K-12 schools

• Brain drain Arts and Culture

• Diversity x2

• Lack of cultural activities Land Use

• Zoning

• Too many empty old buildings that are still good Housing

• Poor housing conditions x2

DRAFT

• Lack of quality, affordable homes x2

• No mid to higher end housing x6

• Too many subsidized rentals x2

• No housing for young professionals Economic Development

• Lack of restaurants x6

• Lack of quality groceries x2

• Lack of job opportunities x4

• Lack of shopping x9

• Lack of professional jobs x5

• Need more vibrant town

• Need better shopping Menards and Aldi x2

• Lack of income

• Development new opportunities x2

• Too far from existing jobs

• Professional opportunities Infrastructure

• Terrible railroad crossings

• Transportation

• Lack of cell service x4

• Poor internet service x4

• Roads Quality of Life

• Lack of entertainment x5

• No growth x2

• Quality of life

• Nightlife

• Lack of outdoor sports

• Bad judgement x2

• Not much to do x2

• No draw except Wabash College

• No amenities Social/Community

• Narrowmindedness

• CAVE People (Citizens Against Virtually Everything)

• Scooters driven without driver’s license

• Division

DRAFT

• More peace

• Lack of opportunities

• Perception of community unwilling to change x2

• Lack of progression

• It’s not pretty

WHAT IS MONTGOMERY COUNTY MISSING? Natural Resources/Parks

• Beach area near Sugar Creek

• San Antonio river walk along Sugar Creek

• Parks x2

• Trails x2

• ATV Trails

• Appreciation for clear skies and quiet nights Government Accountability

• Term limits for commissioners

• Better elected officials x4

• True, honest political figures who fight

• Open minded politicians Wind Farm

• Property value decreasing, health reducing, money wasting, industrial wind turbines

• Wind power

• Zoning to protect from windfarms

• No wind turbines Public Safety/Health

• Full service hospital x3

• Lack of women health care

• Drug abuse treatment center

• Law enforcement

• Use of tax payer money wisely Education

• Connection and retention of Wabash students

• Good schools Arts and Culture

• Appreciation for diversity and inclusion

DRAFT

Land Use

• Proper use of the plan and ordinances already in place

• Willingness to plan for the future

• Vision and action Housing

• Nice housing developments x3

• Affordable housing developments Economic Development

• Promotion of county to the surrounding counties (advertisements)

• Better shopping x11

• Downtown vibrancy stores open on weekends and evenings

• Bars (like Backstep)

• 24-hour childcare x3

• Dining options x12

• Professionals x3

• Qualified workforce

• Industries with good pay

• People that will work – not do drugs

• Increase tax base

• More small business opportunities x3

• A place to grow small businesses x4

• White collar jobs x2

• Restaurants in the country Middle class jobs

• Target

• Menards

• Aldi x4

• Kohls

• Red Lobster

• TJ Maxx

• We need renewable energy on an industrial scale

• Working with small businesses more than big corporations

• A draw for white collar professionals

• Workers

• Groceries

• Promotion of local shops Infrastructure

• Fiber optic at lake Holiday x3

DRAFT

• Cell service that works x7

• Bypass the city IN 32 and with IN 47

• Internet service x5

• Technology infrastructure

• Walking/biking paths around all schools

• Nightlife

• Good roads Quality of Life

• Entertainment options x7

• Open minded people who attend these meetings

• Weekend/weekday opportunities x2 Social/Community

• Respect for scientific understanding

• Openness to change for common good

• Social opportunities

• People that only see their side of things

• Public meeting space

• Appreciation of liberty

WHAT AREAS SHOULD BE PRESERVERED OR PROTECTED? Natural Resources/Parks

• Sugar Creek x26

• Shades State Park x16

• Turkey Run State Park x3

• Trees/more trees x4

• Lake Holiday

• Wooded areas x2

• Riparian corridors

• Wildlife habitat x3

• Waterways

• Lake Waveland

• Night skies to gaze without red lights x2

• Recreation opportunities

• Burn over bird sanctuary

• Climate Agriculture

• Agriculture/farming areas x19

DRAFT

Rural

• Rural areas

• Open country Wind Farm

• My home from turbines

• Schools from wind turbines x3

• No wind farms x7

• People from wind turbines

• We need windfarms Public Safety/Health

• Health and safety Education

• Public Schools x3

• All county schools

• Library Arts and Culture

• Historical buildings/sites x7

• Ben Hur Building x2

• Museums x2

• Art and culture

• Culer Hospital Land Use

• Property rights

• Private property Housing

• Areas for home development

• Rural housing Economic Development

• Viable downtowns x3

• Downtown Crawfordsville x2 Infrastructure

• Covered bridge x4

• Steel bridges

DRAFT

Quality of Life

• All of it x2

• Small town atmosphere x2

• Downtown attractions

• Peace and quiet x2

• Townships

Social/Community

• Freedom

• Community meeting places

• Lifestyle

DRAFT