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Residents who live near a proposed 650-home residential and commercial development along Morse Reservoir have concerns about the project’s possible impact on wildlife, property values and the character of the area.
Nearly 20 people expressed those worries Tuesday night to members of the Noblesville City Council during a public hearing about a zoning change that would allow development of the 175-acre Morse Village, which is being planned on the city’s northwest side at the intersection of East 206th Street and Hague Road.
“The people around me are all vehemently opposed to this development, and part of the reason is Noblesville has grown in leaps and bounds in a short time,” Michael Ramos told council members. “I’m sure all of you know part of the character in Noblesville is that it was a small, quiet town. I understand there’s going to be growth, but it’s just blowing up and it’s really killing the character.”
Noblesville’s population has grown from fewer than 30,000 in 2000 to more about 75,000 today.
More than 450 people have signed a Change.org petition calling for the city to reject the zoning change request from Indianapolis-based developer LOR Corp. that would allow multifamily housing in the area. Additionally, more than two dozen residents spoke in opposition last month before members of the Noblesville Plan Commission voted 10-0 to recommend the change in zoning.
Neighbors to the proposed development hired attorneys from Carmel-based Paganelli Law Group, which has represented Noblesville residents in fighting projects around the city, such as a plan by Beaver Materials to dig a gravel pit near the intersection of East 161st Street and Cherry Tree Road.
Plans for Morse Village call for 250 high-end single-family houses, 150 town houses and 250 multifamily residences. Morse Village would also feature 30,000 square feet of retail space and restaurants, and a new roundabout at the intersection of 206th and Hague.
The $250 million development would have three hubs: North Pointe, South Pointe and West Pointe.
North Pointe would feature 250 to 300 multifamily flats, 50 for-sale town houses, 40 single-family houses and 30,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space.
South Pointe would have about 200 single-family houses ranging from $400,000 to $1 million, green space, a clubhouse, trails, pickleball courts and a bald eagle preservation area called Eagle Park.
And West Pointe would be the site of 135 for-sale town houses and condominiums, and preserved landscape areas. Town houses would range from two to four stories with the shortest buildings constructed on the north side of the area nearest the neighboring subdivision. The condominiums would be four stories tall with three floors of above ground-level parking.
The development would be built on agricultural land near the Morse Lake Marina, Morse Park & Beach, Harbour Trees Golf and Beach Club, and Wolfies Grill Noblesville.
LOR Vice President of Development Phil Sundling said Morse Village would take seven to 10 years to fully develop. South Pointe would be developed first, while North Pointe and West Pointe would follow.
Mayor Chris Jensen said Tuesday night that several developers have proposed projects at the Morse Village site, but none fit how the city wants the area to be developed. Jensen originally announced plans for Morse Village at his State of the City address in September.
He said the four keys that he thinks make LOR’s plan work are the roundabout, that one developer wants to develop all three parcels, the “high-end mix of uses that are reflective of Morse Reservoir” and that the proposal calls for a mix of housing types for people in various stages of life.
“I believe this project will make Noblesville better, not only in the short term, but for future Millers as well,” Jensen said.
Some residents spoke about concerns about bald eagles, which can frequently be seen flying and living in the trees at the site.
“We’re up there quite often and see those eagles in the trees or in the nest. They are all inspiring. They inspire patriotism, feelings of nationalism—just overall wonderful things,” Marcia Zeller told councilors. “And I feel like this development could be built anywhere on any property around Noblesville. Why do we have to build it where there is a nesting bald eagle habitat?”
The area around the Morse Village site also has 4.4 acres of wetlands. Sundling said 3.9 acres would be preserved, and the developer would mitigate the loss of the half-acre of wetlands.
Several residents expressed concerns about whether town houses at West Pointe would lower home values of people living nearby. Some said they would not have bought their houses had they known multifamily buildings would be constructed in the area.
“The proposed development at West Pointe poses risks to the long-term economic health of the surrounding community, including the decline in real property values,” Jami Ross, a real estate agent, told council members. “Homes adjacent to the development will experience a relative decrease in market value due to the reduced privacy and increased density.”
In response, Sundling pointed to a 96-page study by Indianapolis-based Integra Realty Resources that determined the West Pointe area would not negatively impact current values, future value increases and future assessments for adjacent homes. The study’s authors used Noblesville city records and figures from Zillow in their research.
“The final report’s findings are very clear,” Sundling said.
In October, City Council members voted 6-0 to approve an economic development agreement with LOR in which the city pledged to provide $13.3 million in developer-backed tax-increment financing bonds for the Morse Village project.
The Noblesville City Council will continue discussion about Morse Village and could vote on the zoning request at its next meeting, on Dec. 17.
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Standard NIMBY arguments: (1) alleged reduction in property values; (2) too much density; (3) traffic; (4) destroys the rural character. I’m surprised they didn’t throw in the usual argument about overloading the schools.
Suburban NIMBYism from those who got there first always reminds me of these lines from Robert Frost’s “Directive”:
“Back out of all this now too much for us,
Back in a time made simple by loss
Of detail, burned, dissolved, and broken off….
“And if you’re lost enough to find yourself
By now, pull in your ladder road behind you
And put a sign up CLOSED to all but me.”
Chris, it isn’t just NIMBY claims. Overdevelopment is a very real problem and discounting concerns related to reduced property values, too much density, traffic and destroying the rural nature of the area are all very valid.
And since you felt compelled to quote Robert Frost’s poem, “Directive”, it might be well to understand his message. “Directive”, in summary, offers a message about the importance of retreating into the simplicity of the past to find clarity and renewal amidst the confusion of modern life. Frost acknowledges life’s inherent fragmentation but suggests that there is a way to piece ourselves back together through introspection and a return to fundamental truths.
I might leave you with the lyrics from our State song which provides inspiration for those of us who call Indiana “home”.
‘Round my Indiana homestead wave the cornfields,
In the distance loom the woodlands clear and cool,
Oftentimes my tho’ts revert to scenes of childhood,
Where I first received my lessons – nature’s school.
Development is not always proper and certainly, in this case, welcomed.
John, you missed the point. This land is not forest, nor is it remote countryside…it’s cornfields with trees along the fencelines, conveniently located between a self-storage joint (south) and a boat dealer (north), and across Hague Road from suburban sprawl (strip mall liquor, Mexican, and insurance office). Building more homes nearby will not reduce anyone’s property values because the nearby homes will still be on or adjacent to the lake.
And you miss the point of “Directive”. It isn’t about the importance of retreat. It is a lament in a time of rapid change (100 years ago) that the old days aren’t coming back. Exactly NIMBYism today.
Noblesville is a community of homes not multistoried apartments. Replacing wetlands, or building homes next to wetlands and eagle nests is giving up on nature to line someone’s back pocket. No way the eagles stay there when construction starts.
SFH suburban sprawl is a disease that kills cities. Mixed and high-density regions are the only areas that generate value for a community.
Suburban NIMBYs only make points if you ignore the hypocrisy. For those argument against further development to be valid, they’d need to advocating to tear down their own neighborhoods too. Less is more, right!?
No… It’s all Got Mine, “Forget” You.
Sadly they’re completely correct that the Suburban Sprawl should be limited, and these continuous-growth negative-property-value low-density developments will bankrupt the town when the road repair and water bills come due in 30-40 years, but that’s not what you’ll hear from the NIMBYs.
The influx of people moving into Noblesville, Carmel, Westfield, and Fishers has become a major concern for many residents in Hamilton County. As someone who resides in the area, I have also noticed the increase in traffic congestion and the strain it has put on our infrastructure.
It seems that our planning commissioners may have overlooked the importance of planning for population growth and determining what is a sustainable number of residents for our communities. It is evident that we are already feeling the effects of overpopulation, and it is time for us to reassess our current situation and plan for the future accordingly.
It is imperative that we take a step back and consider the long-term implications of continued growth in our communities. Instead of constantly bringing in more residents, we should focus on improving the quality of life for those already here and ensuring that our infrastructure can support our current population. Let’s take a pause, digest what we have, and plan for sustainable growth over the next 10-15 years.
Overall, I believe that a more thoughtful and strategic approach to population planning is needed in Hamilton County. It is time for our planning commissioners to prioritize the well-being of our communities and ensure that we are not sacrificing our quality of life for the
The influx of people moving into Noblesville, Carmel, Westfield, and Fishers has become a major concern for many residents in Hamilton County. As someone who resides in the area, I have also noticed the increase in traffic congestion and the strain it has put on our infrastructure.
It seems that our planning commissioners may have overlooked the importance of planning for population growth and determining what is a sustainable number of residents for our communities. It is evident that we are already feeling the effects of overpopulation, and it is time for us to reassess our current situation and plan for the future accordingly.
It is imperative that we take a step back and consider the long-term implications of continued growth in our communities. Instead of constantly bringing in more residents, we should focus on improving the quality of life for those already here and ensuring that our infrastructure can support our current population. Let’s take a pause, digest what we have, and plan for sustainable growth over the next 10-15 years.
Overall, I believe that a more thoughtful and strategic approach to population planning is needed in Hamilton County. It is time for our planning commissioners to prioritize the well-being of our communities and ensure that we are not sacrificing our quality of life for the sake of unchecked growth.
Along 146th street it’s not just the volume, but lack of quality. Where was the zoning commission on the 2 new huge developments just west of River Road. As for added traffic congestion…..it’s off the charts!
I think (and so do many of the neighbors and town residents) that our town Noblesville is growing out of control and in doing so we are losing our identity and charm. We are also losing our precious farm land to greedy developers and city planning expansions. It’s time we start putting the brakes on some of these projects starting with the “Morse Village” project located at 206th. and Hague road. There are many negative implications of this project (loss of farm land, lowering the water table which is very important to those of us on a well, destruction of natural wetlands , disrupting an Eagle nest and affecting other wildlife in the area , increase of traffic exponentially , overcrowding of schools and disrupting the natural beauty of the area and rezoning from R1 to R5 proposing 2 ,3 ,4 and even 5 story townhomes just to name a few things ). This project (as well as many others) seem to be pushed through with no regard to what the current population wants. This is not good !!
Your “town” is a suburban agglomeration that is a melange of Old County Seat, 70’s IWC Lakefront/Golf Course Living, State Road 37 Business Parks, New Suburban Planned Expansion (the Deer Creek/I-69/Hamilton Town Center corridor), and seemingly endless single-family subdivisions in between, which lacks a coherent identity except the name. All those “districts” except the Old County Seat are on developed former farmland, and the only difference there is that it was platted 150 years ago instead of last week, last month, last year, last decade, or since mid-last century.
Your town is growing because more people want to live there than there are available housing units. Be glad for that; you don’t want to be in the opposite position. (See: Gary.)
Why on Earth would Noblesville agree to TIF this residential project? Clueless leadership seems to be abundant.
Jenson must not want to be reelected!
Agreed ! This is also a topic (“Tif”) that needs addressed on this project !
Dont forget about the greedy farmers!!!
Farmers selling land in central Indiana are hitting the lotto but nobody talks about it.
I remember when North Harbour didn’t exist and that didn’t exactly destroy Noblesville. Everybody needs to get off their moral high horse. Certainly some negotiations with the developer is always a good idea to get the best solution possible. The article is just another attention grabber. 20 people showed up to express their concerns. Give me a break. Not exactly newsworthy.