Forum discusses Pennville's future

An effort to prepare a road map for a revitalized future took another step forward Monday night in Pennville.

Members of the town board, a committee and about 15 members of the public were in attendance for a public forum on the ongoing preparation of a comprehensive plan for the town.

At Monday’s meeting, officials from an Indianapolis planning firm presented three scenarios for Pennville’s future. The meeting included input and discussion on those topics. The comprehensive plan will be a 20-year outlook on goals, objectives and a plan to achieve those goals.

The plan will be discussed and revised over the next two months, with approval currently scheduled for sometime in March.

Ray Scott, president of the Pennville Town Board, has been one of the leaders in the planning effort.

“The overall goal is to try to develop a plan ... of how we’re going to work toward ensuring Pennville remains a community. Trying to help it grow and get it back to when it had businesses downtown (and) before it was just a bedroom community,” Scott said in a phone interview this morning from his Pennville home.

Along with fellow town board members Steve Cash and Ron Kreps, a committee of Pennville citizens has helped lead and guide the planning process.

Committee members include Ralph Frazee, John and Kathy Corwin, Ruby Imel, Don Stafford, Tracy Horton and Lee Bone.

“For a small community, we’ve got a lot of citizens who share their thoughts and efforts and they contribute a lot to the town,” Scott said. “I don’t think anybody here has a desire to make a city out of Pennville. We just want to make it a more vibrant community,” Scott said.

Preparation of a comprehensive plan is a requirement before adoption of zoning. And although Scott admits that zoning is a likely eventual outcome, he said that is a “minor part” of the planning process.

“What we want to come up with is a plan that no matter who comes onto the town board ... that we have a plan to grow with,” he said.

The three scenarios presented Monday by Rose Scovel, project planner from Indianapolis-based HNTB Corp.:

•Stagnant growth, making few changes.

•Expanding using the American Planning Association vision, which would include more development of commercial and industrial areas.

•An aggressive growth pattern — especially in terms of industry. Scott admits the scenario was likely not realistic, as it included an industrial park nearly as large as the current town.

The planning process is being largely paid for through a Community Focus Fund grant from the Indiana Department of Commerce.

Scott, who is in his fifth year on the town board, said there are several keys to bringing life back to Pennville — including keeping the elementary school in town open, working on community and economic development, development of small businesses and a hoped-for major streetscape project along Ind. 1 through town.

The Indiana Department of Transportation plans to re-pave Ind. 1 in 2007, and Pennville has grant applications pending that would renovate and rehabilitate sidewalks and curbs through town.

Scott said this morning he has been pleased with the participation and reception from the community in the planning process.

“Really, there’s no resistance. Everybody realizes we’re going to have to do something to keep the town running. The only resistance ... isn’t really resistance, it’s that (there’s an attitude) that we’re dreaming because we’re never going to get there ... The negativism is probably the biggest challenge,” Scott said.[[In-content Ad]]