JAMES WOOD

Staff Writer

After strong debate, the Shelbyville City Council chose to move forward with the rezoning of the Remington Farms Planned Unit Development (PUD), allowing development to begin on the 158 acre property along Hwy 41A.

The council gave the final greenlight to the plan which had been in the concept phase since late 2023. Councilmembers William Christie and Josh Blevins dissented with all other members voting yes.

Several residents spoke during the public hearing portion in favor and against the plan.

Opponents cited concerns over the responsibility of allowing a development of this size to be placed along 41A, which currently receives criticism for its traffic congestion issues in itself.

Resident Samantha Guthrie voiced her opinion over the development, sharing her concerns over building before the community finds a way to avoid becoming a “sleeper town.”

“We’ve got to find our anchor again,” she said.

Terry Bright questioned the council’s deviation from the Planning Commission’s previous recommendation on the plan.

“Why do you have a planning department if you continue ignoring their input and recommendations, especially on this Remington project?” said Bright. “My opinion is that 41A needs to be upgraded before this development is approved.”

Jeff Clark spoke on the importance of partnering with trustworthy developers, supporting homebuilders Ole South and their track record.

“I think it’s very important that you partner with somebody that you know is going to work with you for your goals as well,” said Clark. “I think the key to success is to go with Ole South.”

Following public comments, Councilmember Henry Feldhaus and Blevins debated over the reliability and responsibility of the plan.

“In real estate, the old adage is location, location, location,” said Blevins. “With this project, our call from the Planning Commission has been infrastructure, infrastructure, infrastructure.”

He continued to argue for the importance of differentiating the developer from development.

“I think the developer is a great developer, so we’re not voting on a developer tonight, we’re voting on a development,” he continued. “The product that’s on paper doesn’t meet the standard of infrastructure that we need to look for going forward.”

He further added that the fire protection was not sufficient in the area, citing a study from the city.

“This development is outside of all four of our fire protection circles, which means that it will at some point require a fifth fire station.”

Feldhaus argued that the developer has met the standards and additionally would push for infrastructure development in the area.

“As we’ve heard from people tonight, not all growth is bad,” said Feldhaus. “If you work it right, it can be great.”

“I agree that complaints about infrastructure have some merit. However, the causes and final solutions do not lay with whether Remington Farms is approved or not,” he continued. “In fact, I can argue that without the Remington Farms Development infrastructure, the current traffic improvements will be decades down the road.”

Councilmember Betsy Noel commented that while she understood the concerns and empathized with residents that feel the impact of change in the community, she felt the project was a good investment in the area.

“Growth can be challenging especially when it happens quickly, but in this case, it appears to be a thoughtful development with meaningful investments in infrastructure and the future of the area,” said Noel.

Shelbyville Mayor Randy Carroll emphasized his goal of representing residents city-wide in light of the PUD, including Wards 4 and 5, of which are the closest to the development.

“If it was coming to your ward, how would you feel about it?” said Carroll.

He mentioned his appreciation for the developer’s cooperation with the city, while also speaking about residents who will be affected.

“He’s an excellent developer, he’s tried to help and they’ve done everything they tried to do but it’s affecting the people who put me in office and I’ve got to represent those people as Mayor.”

A 4 – 2 vote followed the motion to approve the plan brought forth by Feldhaus and Councilmember Bobby Turnbow.