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