Residents oppose Pumpkin Ridge Road upgrade for Mt. Tea State Forest access; commissioners review INDOT-funded plan

A proposed upgrade to Pumpkin Ridge Road to improve access to Mt. Tea State Forest drew sustained public comment and skepticism at the Brown County Commissioners meeting on Feb. 4.

Commission President Tim Clark summarized the project's history and scope, noting the forest encompasses roughly 1,153 acres (705 acres deeded to the state in 2013) and that earlier design concepts estimated construction costs as high as $6.5 million with a Preliminary Engineering Report (PER) estimated at about $1.21 million. Clark said INDOT reduced the proposed cross-section from an initial 22-foot paved concept to an 18-foot road with 2-foot shoulders and roadside ditches, and that INDOT has final approval authority for the design and construction, including eminent-domain authority if needed.

Multiple residents urged the commission to stop or scale back the project. Bob Klee, a property owner, read petition comments and urged opponents to "stop the widening of Pumpkin Ridge Rd." Jason Dickmeyer said he launched an online petition that had 251 signatures. Charlie Shaw compared proposed changes to prior INDOT work at Yellowwood Lake Road and warned of environmental and scenic impacts. Property owners raised site-specific concerns: Klee said his septic system lies beneath Pumpkin Ridge Road; others asked who owns and plows the road and what would happen to funds if the project halted.

Commissioners said the county had requested INDOT funding because the road provides access to a State Forest, and that the county serves as the Local Public Agency during the PER phase. They noted INDOT agreed to identify the minimum design the State would approve and fund and that compensation would be provided for any necessary permanent or temporary easements and for damaged improvements.