Rezoning requests for US 30 corridor tabled after residents press for traffic, pipeline and infrastructure safeguards

Jason Simon, founder of Wiley Capital, asked the Hobart City Redevelopment Authority to rezone two large parcels near U.S. 30 from R-2 to M-1 to accommodate industrial development and attract corporate investment.

"We are requesting a rezoning change from R 2 to M 1," Jason Simon said in his presentation, describing conceptual site plans and noting the parcels together comprise roughly 168 acres and that one petitioned parcel measures 138.98 acres. Simon said the developer’s conceptual renderings show low site coverage (22.8% on one parcel) and argued the location’s proximity to I-65 and Route 30 makes it suitable for logistics and industrial users.

The petition prompted lengthy public comment. Robert Wright, a Clay Street resident, told the board he had lived on Clay Street nearly 60 years and listed concerns that included traffic, noise, lights, property-tax impacts and pipeline safety: "I have to deal with possibility of traffic, noise, pollution ... I don't need any consequences with something happening to that [pipeline] and having to be possibly evacuated from my home." Other residents urged the authority to require a traffic study before approving zoning changes and to ensure the site would not be used for a data center.

"I would hope that you would get a traffic study done before you permit warehousing," said Joseph Conn during public comment. Multiple commenters asked the authority to clarify whether large-scale data-center use was a possibility under the requested M-1 designation and to require mitigation if heavy truck traffic would use Clay Street rather than Route 30.

Several board members voiced concern that rezoning before commitments on infrastructure would be premature. One member recommended the petitioner pursue a planned unit development (PUD) or include a development agreement obligating the developer to build road, sewer and water improvements. A motion to table petition 26-02 was made and seconded; the board voted to table the petition pending infrastructure agreements, traffic study results and further review.

Action: Motion to table petition 26-02 (rezoning R-2 to M-1) — moved by a committee member, seconded; outcome: tabled (vote recorded as "aye" and motion carried; individual roll-call tallies were not specified in the record).

The board then opened a second public hearing on a contiguous parcel (petition 26-03) and heard largely similar testimony about traffic, wetlands and pipeline safety. After additional questions and discussion — including repeated calls for a traffic study and for infrastructure commitments such as widening Clay Street and extending sanitary sewer and water — the board also voted to table petition 26-03.

What happens next: Both rezoning petitions were tabled. Commissioners and staff indicated they expect traffic and drainage studies and clearer infrastructure commitments (or a PUD/development agreement) before recommending rezoning to the city council. No rezoning decision was made at the meeting.

Provenance: Petition introductions and presentations begin at SEG 407; public comment and board discussion run through SEG 2145; motions to table occur in the transcript at SEG 1528 (26-02) and SEG 2139 (26-03).

Speakers quoted or cited: Jason Simon, founder of Wiley Capital (petitioner); Joseph Conn (public commenter); Robert Wright (public commenter); Patricia Corey (public commenter); Jeff Chaz (public commenter); Wade Bieber (public commenter); planning/board members (committee members who moved to table).