Brownsburg planning commission affirms stop-work order for Fiber Global at Eagle Creek Logistics Park

The Brownsburg Advisory Planning Commission on Wednesday affirmed a stop‑work order issued to Fiber Global for work at 10255 Archer Drive in the Eagle Creek Logistics Park, following a multi‑hour hearing in which staff described incomplete permit submissions and lingering hazardous‑dust and occupancy concerns.

Town planning staff told the commission the project lacked a full tenant‑finish building permit and a complete construction design release, and argued that reinstating work before those items are complete would be unsafe. "Staff fully believes that the stop work order needs to stay in place and the rest of the permitting process needs to play out as it should," a planning staff presentation said.

The stop‑work order under appeal was issued Jan. 10, 2025; an earlier order was issued Oct. 23, 2024, after the fire marshal visited the site. Town staff said a foundation‑only permit issued Nov. 1 covered only the foundation work and that other work remained under the stop‑work order. The town noted the January 22 on‑site fire, and staff and the fire marshal cited unresolved questions about how the planned process would control combustible fibers and dust.

Fiber Global told the commission it has been working to supply the technical reports and revised plans the town requested and that it has engaged experts. "We are hopeful the town agrees," said Joanne Sommer, counsel for Fiber Global, who argued the January order lacked sufficient specificity and asked the commission to rescind it. Sommer said the company has paused most construction for about two months and has lost "hundreds of thousands of dollars" and furloughed "nearly 40% of its workforce."

Town counsel and planning staff disputed that the order was vague. Frost Brown Todd attorney Darren Craig summarized the town’s view that the path to lifting the stop‑work order is clear: submit a complete permit package that satisfies the municipal code and state construction design release requirements. The town pointed to permit portal notes and multiple rounds of comments and correspondence dating back to October 2024.

Building Commissioner Steve Fletcher and fire officials explained the technical concern that drove a re‑examination of occupancy classification. Fletcher told the commission that the existing configuration and the size of a bulk silo on site exceed thresholds for an F‑1 occupancy in the town’s and state’s fire‑safety standards. "That silo holds over 1,600 cubic feet. So that would definitely send it into the H‑3," Fletcher said, adding that a redesigned, closed‑transfer system could reduce the allowed combustible quantity and keep the use within F‑1 limits.

Fiber Global representatives described changes they are preparing to the equipment and material‑handling line intended to make the system a closed pass‑through and reduce on‑site storage. Mark Schwenker, chief strategy officer for Fiber Global, described the January fire as likely caused by a spark inside equipment that contained residual cardboard and said the company has removed large quantities of stored material from the site.

After questions from multiple commissioners about what remained outstanding and how long reviews would take, the commission voted to affirm the stop‑work order as issued, adopting staff’s recommendation. The commission recorded the motion and approved it on voice vote; no explicit roll‑call tally was recorded in the hearing minutes.

Next steps: Fiber Global said it expects to submit an additional set of revised plans and technical documents in the coming days (representatives said a meeting the prior week produced a list of items staff identified as outstanding). Planning staff said they would review new submissions under the town’s standard review timelines; town officials and the company both said that, if the town receives a complete set of materials that meet state and local requirements, issuance of the permit and a certificate of occupancy would be the mechanism to lift the stop‑work order.

Public comment included a resident who thanked the commission and staff for their thoroughness during the hearing. The action preserves the town’s existing stop‑work orders while the permit review and any necessary state reviews proceed.