Wagoner In a letter to local and state officials, Camden Town Council President Pete Wagoner outlines why he and the town he represents believe that extending SR 75 to the Hoosier Heartland Highway is important to Carroll County's economic future.

The letter was sent to: Carroll County Council members; Paul Couts, County Highway engineer; James Earl, project manager, INDOT; Daryl Smith, EDC director; Josh Ayres, Council president, Town of Flora; Randy Strasser, mayor, City of Delphi; Mark Justice, trustee, Liberty Township; Bill Dittman, trustee, Jackson Township; and Maryo Pasarel, The Troyer Group.

Wagoner's letter follows: "The Town Council of Camden supports this vitally important highway project since this highway is the backbone/centerline of Carroll County that directly links the population centers of Cutler, Bringhurst, Flora and Camden. The SR75 extension has broad support that includes the Camden Town Council, Flora Town Council, Carroll County Economic Development Corporation, Carroll County Chamber of Commerce, and the City of Delphi. This highway project also has support from Clinton County and Frankfort.

sketch of the NW Railroad proposal In 2006, the county had an economic impact study performed by an outside con- sultant that d e - tailed the benefits the SR75 corridor will contribute to employment growth. The improved corridor will lead to an industrial expansion that will improve the county's economy. In looking at the benefit of building the project, the county's return on investment is a factor 5.01 to 1 and would break even within an eightyear period after construction is completed.

In 2008, the county published an Economic Development Plan that resulted from input received from many sources, and has been reviewed favorably by all municipalities, the Commissioners, and the Focus on Future Forum. There is broad-based support for this E.D. Plan, which assigns a high-priority to a SR75 Extension Project. This would be a county/state project, not a "Camden project," which will benefit all local governmental entities and every taxpayer living in Carroll County since it has the potential for creating a significant number of new, decentpaying jobs!

A few other factors associated with an extended SR75 to consider are:

• Heavy-truck traffic needs to be funneled onto SR75 to preserve our unimproved county roads and reduce some very unsafe driving conditions.

• Enhanced public safety (EMS and fire protection) by having an overpass for SR75 across NW Railroad.

• Enhanced potential for meaningful economic development in areas along SR75 from Cutler to Flora to Camden to connection with the HHH.

• Vast potential for largescale industrial development in area near to acre I-Park designed for rail access at each industrial site (a sketch of the NW Railroad proposal is attached).

Note: All utility services are available, or could be extended by the Town of Camden, to this I-Park location. Having water/wastewater utilities extended to this site would also make it very economical to extend these utilities on another mile to serve community of Burrows, if they so desired.

Construction of Hoosier Heartland Highway (HHH) through Carroll County is scheduled for completion by 2013; however, Governor Daniels recently challenged INDOT to have it completed by 2012. The opening of the HHH provides the county a once-ina generation opportunity for substantial economic development (comparable t o when the Wabash and Erie Canal or railroads were built). We can either choose to work together to exploit the economic potential of having a four-lane highway traverse the county, or we can argue and bicker among ourselves as we watch HHH traffic pass us by and adjacent counties reap the economic benefits. The choice will be ours.

There are other locations in the county that should have good potential for economic development when the HHH is opened (e.g., the 60-acre, shovelready I-Park site south of Delphi). But the combination of having excellent highway transportation, and ready access to rail, provides some unique advantages to locations near SR75 and SR75/HHH connection. The prospect of higher energy costs is causing site selectors to require rail access for more types of larger-scale industrial operations now being planned. Of course, many things would have to happen before an I-Park, as proposed by NW Railroad, could become a reality. But getting SR75 extended to the HHH must happen to even have a chance of realizing the potential economic benefits from such a large-scale industrial complex, or of enhancing the prospects of development at other locations in central Carroll County.

Some would argue the county doesn't need to pursue economic development (other than agriculture), but other indicators we see tell a very different story. Too many houses sitting "For Sale," too many small businesses closing their doors, school enrollments getting smaller, vital public services being cut (e.g., EMS and law enforcement), more miles of county roads reverting back to gravel each year, younger people/ families relocating to other counties, and local officials struggling to keep taxes/fees affordable. We need to work together to create many more decentpaying jobs right here in Carroll County. That's why we need to support economic development! That's why extending SR75 to the HHH is so very important!

Most of the potential benefits associated with extending SR75 have been studied before, discussed at length in various public venues, and the consensus opinion arrived at by outside experts and county leaders has been to pursue completion of a SR75 extension and connection to the HHH. The Commissioners have worked with INDOT the past two years trying to move this highway project forward, and INDOT appeared willing to consider some modification to the original HHH Record of Decision (ROD) to accommodate a SR75 connection made by extending CR50W northward. Having a SR75 extension follow this route is the most direct way to get to a HHH connection point, so we, and county officials, have favored this approach. To accommodate a SR75 extension INDOT suggested relocating an overpass (planned for Meridian Line Road) to instead line-up with CR50W and also wished to eliminate one of two at-grade intersections in Burrows.

Recently, the Liberty Township Volunteer Fire Department has raised objections to INDOT about eliminating one at-grade intersection at HHH/CR100E. The fire department's objections appear to be valid. Reasons voiced for not relocating an overpass planned for Meridian Line Road to instead line-up with CR50W providing a SR75/HHH connection don't make too much sense. A logical compromise would be to retain the at-grade intersection at CR100E and relocate the overpass a half-mile west to provide a direct connection for SR75/HHH. The Town of Camden supports such a compromise and would hope the Burrows community might as well.

However, it is critically important that the HHH Project be completed on schedule, and Carroll County cannot wind-up causing a delay to the HHH while we argue about the location of an intersection or overpass. We hope a sensible compromise regarding access for Burrows can be agreed upon quickly and a SR75/HHH connection point north from CR50W can move forward as planned. But at this late juncture, unless everyone can come to an agreement, INDOT may decide not to deviate from the intersection/ overpass locations as specified in the ROD. If this were to happen, the county needs to consider an alternative approach for getting the SR75 extension/ connection project completed.

A few suggestions:

1. Do not lose sight of the importance to Carroll County of completing a SR75 extension and connecting to HHH. This must remain a high-priority goal.

2. If the county were not to object to INDOT building HHH, Segment 3, per the ROD (which includes 2 at-grade intersections in Burrows and an overpass on Meridian Line Road), INDOT should be expected to reciprocate as follows:

3. Obtain a commitment (in writing) from INDOT to build the Meridian Line Road overpass for a state highway, including a grade-separated SR75/HHH connection and upgrades to Meridian Line Road from CR750N to HHH connection.

4. Obtain a commitment (in writing) from INDOT to either assume responsibility for completing the SR75 extension project by a specified date (2015?), or to support the county in completing a CR75 extension as a LPA project under terms of a written agreement specifying when INDOT would take over CR75, as SR75.

5. Have Troyer Group alter preliminary engineering for CR75 to accommodate an alignment for connection to HHH via Meridian Line Road, and complete design.

6. With all preliminary engineering work completed for a SR75 extension and a connection in place to HHH, this highway project would be wellpositioned for construction funding via future stimulus programs, or other federal highway funding sources.

If it becomes necessary to alter the current plans for SR75 extension, Carroll County would be assisting INDOT in moving HHH, Segment 3, forward to achieve its scheduled completion date. In exchange, INDOT should be willing to provide a SR75/HHH connection via Meridian Line Road, and to support (or assume responsibility) for constructing this important 3-mile extension of SR75 from Camden to HHH.

"The Town of Camden continues to support plans for a SR75/HHH connection point north from CR50W. However, if it becomes necessary, we would not object to relocating the connection point over to Meridian Line Road. What is most important to us is having the SR75 extension be completed for the benefit of everyone in Carroll County."