Zoning Referendum Added to Ballot for Fall Creek Township

This fall, voters in Fall Creek Township (FCT) will get to vote on a hot topic that has created yet another rift between area communities. After a successful petition drive by Fall Creek Township residents, a referendum will appear on the ballot Tuesday, Nov. 4. If passed, official control over planning and zoning functions in the areas of Fall Creek Township facing annexation by Fishers would be placed back in the hands of Hamilton County.

This month, a Joinder Agreement Referendum Study Group was established by Terry Michael, Fall Creek Township Trustee. The group, made up of seven area residents, will evaluate and sift through the relevant information in order to summarize the current zoning issue at hand. An official report by the Study Group will be made available to the public and will also be presented to the Town of Fishers, the City of Noblesville, the affected area township trustees and the Fishers Chamber of Commerce. This report will provide pertinent information to voters in order to make an informed decision.

Joinder Agreement Referendum Study Group members are: MaryAnn Shepherd, Doug Allman, David Cox, Terry Soellinger, Walter Bagot, Christi Venable and Kevin Noel.

“We’re happy with this development,” said Doug Allman, Study Group member and unincorporated FCT homeowner.  “We hope the initiative will pass this November, and the people that are directly affected by these zoning issues will be recognized and have rights.”

Ultimately, Allman explained, if the referendum passes, the zoning responsibilities will officially go back to the county, rather than Fishers. Currently, Fishers has taken on zoning authority, even though official authority to do so has never been signed. This zoning issue has been a point of contention since 2005, when a Joinder Agreement was drafted that transferred zoning responsibilities from Noblesville to Fishers. The document allows Fishers to annex land contiguous to its corporate limits within FCT and to administer building permits and other planning duties once held by Noblesville.

Since the document was drafted, FCT residents have voiced frustration and concern over how the zoning regulations have been handled by Fishers. With the referendum on the ballot this fall, FCT voters can vote on zoning authority and have an impact on who will be handling it. If voters vote “yes” on the referendum, they will be voting for the zoning authority to shift back to Hamilton County and away from the hands of Fishers.

Michael stated that as soon as he receives the final report from the Joinder Agreement Referendum Study Group next month, he will review it and make it available to the public. Again, the referendum question will appear on the Nov. 4 ballot, as a direct result of the petition drive held last month by the voters of FCT.

If you have further questions about this issue, Michael said FCT residents are welcome to contact him at the Fall Creek Township offices, 317-841-3180.