IAA joins Hendricks County, Plainfield, Avon, and Brownsburg in coordinated growth plan

INDIANAPOLIS—The Indianapolis Airport Authority (IAA) today joined with officials of Hendricks County and the towns of Plainfield, Avon, and Brownsburg in announcing agreements for coordinated planning of the Ronald Reagan Corridor, a parkway route that will link I-70 near the airport to I-74 in Brownsburg.

The corridor is both a key enhancement to north-south accessibility in Hendricks County and a premier opportunity for economic development, especially with the impending opening of the new airport terminal in late 2008.

The agreements announced today by airport and government leaders include:

• The designation of the Ronald Reagan Corridor as an “area of common interest” with endorsement of the Ronald Reagan Corridor Master Plan as the long-range vision for the area. The five parties maintain a Ronald Reagan Parkway Steering Committee that meets to review the progress of the master plan.
• The signing by airport leaders and the Town of Plainfield of an inter-local cooperation agreement that will provide for airport observance of Plainfield’s standards and requirements in developing IAA property within Plainfield.

Authority Secretary Alfred R. Bennett said, “These agreements demonstrate tremendous progress among the airport authority, the county and the townships. Using them, we will cooperate in building our economic future.”

The Ronald Reagan Corridor includes land within the jurisdictions of the Hendricks County Plan Commission, the plan commissions of Avon, Brownsburg, and Plainfield, as well as the airport authority.

Hendricks County Commission President David A. Whicker called the joint resolution “a crucial step forward.” He said, “Agreeing to a collaborative vision for development will mean greater achievement with greater efficiency without compromising quality.”

The agreement between the airport authority and Plainfield is intended to avoid conflict between town planners and airport designers over uses of land owned by the airport in Plainfield. The airport agrees to comply with town zoning development rules as long as they don’t interfere with airport operations. At the same time, the town will not require the authority to file petitions or go through a hearing process for any development that is in compliance with town standards and regulations.

Hendricks County is the second-fastest growing county in Indiana. County officials attribute much of that growth to the extensive network of highway, air, and rail transportation systems in the metropolitan area. The completion of the New Indianapolis Airport in late 2008, with its primary entrance off I-70 west of I-465, will help shift development west toward Hendricks County. The entrance to the current terminal area is off I-465 and the Airport Expressway, east of the airport.

To meet the growing highway traffic demands of the county, planners look toward an eventual linkage between I-70 in Hendricks County and I-65 in Boone County. At present, the focus is on the 12-mile portion of this route, connecting I-70 and I-74 through Plainfield, Avon, and Brownsburg. That roadway has been designated the Ronald Reagan Parkway.