Brownsburg council rejects Auburn Ridge West rezoning on second reading after heated debate over traffic, wells and neighborhood connections

The Town of Brownsburg Town Council voted down a rezoning ordinance for the Auburn Ridge West subdivision on its second reading on Feb. 18, 2025, after lengthy public comment and hours of council discussion.

Supporters and opponents clashed over road access, groundwater impacts and neighborhood character. The council debated an amendment package from the applicant that added written commitments on lot count, buffers, road construction and home design; council members approved the amendments but ultimately rejected the ordinance on a 3-2 roll call.

The proposed rezoning would have changed the official zoning map from agricultural (AG) to R2 for the Auburn Ridge West site. The applicant and staff presented a set of commitments during the meeting intended to address neighbors’ concerns, including limiting the development to a maximum of 90 lots, providing a 50-foot buffer along the eastern property line adjacent to Tilden Terrace, and constructing an extension of Tilden Road to County Road 500 as a three-lane road with an 80-foot right-of-way and a 10-foot sidewalk or trail.

Residents spoke during the public-comment period and during the hearing on the ordinance. Emily Simmons, a nearby resident, criticized inconsistencies in the developer’s materials and asked the council…