Brownsburg council tables Lincoln Town Park master plan after wide public comment on cost, traffic and implementation

The Town of Brownsburg Town Council on Aug. 14 voted to table consideration of the Lincoln (Linkwood) Town Park master plan until its meeting on Aug. 28, after hours of public comment that raised concerns about taxpayer cost, traffic, floodplain impacts and governance.

Supporters and opponents filled the council chamber and delivered opposing views during both the public comment period and the agenda item discussion. Krista Baber, a resident of 45 Timber Lane, urged the council to move forward, saying Brownsburg has been “talking about building a public pool for more than 50 years” and that with a phased approach and partnerships the project could be built without “unnecessary strain on taxpayers.”

Opponents emphasized cost and traffic. Rob Kendall, 624 South Grant, told the council the master plan had low community participation and warned against tying the town’s financial future to a large facility. Chuck Danbaum, 510 South School Street, said the proposed site’s sewer, floodplain and access issues made it unsuitable for a large development and suggested the town pursue partnerships with outside operators such as a YMCA.

Amber (parks staff) presented the park authority summary and a public comment report compiled by staff. Amber said staff collected 213 public comments and that key themes included concern about the project’s financial burden on taxpayers, praise for potential quality-of-life benefits, requests for trail connectivity and parking, and mixed sentiment about specific features. Amber told the council that some clarifying information people requested—full capital and operating cost estimates—could not be produced until the project moved into a design phase.

Council members discussed next steps and governance options. Several members said that if the project moves forward it would likely require a build–operate–transfer (BOT) or third-party model rather than direct long-term management by the town. Council president (addressed as “Mr. President” in the meeting) said the council would first vote on how to proceed with the aquatic center financing at the next meeting, and then take up the master plan. Council member(s) expressed concern about public fatigue on the issue and low turnout for outreach efforts.

After that discussion, Council member made a motion to table the Lincoln Town Park master plan until the Aug. 28 meeting, pending the council’s vote on financing for the aquatic center; the motion was seconded and passed on voice vote.

Why it matters: The master plan would shape future park and recreation investments and could require large capital and operating commitments. Opponents warned that municipal funding constraints and changing state property-tax policy could affect the town’s ability to finance the project. Supporters said the plan would provide amenities long sought by residents and could be phased or financed through grants and partnerships to reduce tax impacts.

The council did not take any action to adopt the master plan on Aug. 14; it will consider next steps after deciding the aquatic center financing model at the Aug. 28 meeting.

Votes at a glance: The motion to table the Lincoln (Linkwood) Town Park master plan until the Aug. 28 meeting passed on a voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.

Local comments and concerns noted at the meeting included: requests for clearer traffic and access plans for nearby intersections, worries about locating a large facility near known floodplain/sewer areas, calls for third-party management to avoid ongoing town operating costs, and repeated statements that fewer than 1% of residents participated in outreach. Amber and other staff said some technical details (full capital and operating cost estimates, final design elements) cannot be finalized until the council commits to moving the project forward.

The council directed staff to prepare materials on BOT/third-party development options and to present aquatic center financing details at the Aug. 28 meeting before revisiting the park master plan.