“It’s been January for months in both directions,” begins poet Kaveh Akbar’s poem “Wild Pear Tree,” and nowhere is that truer than central Indiana this time of year. The red in the thermometers hasn’t risen for weeks, leaving snow on the ground to do nothing but turn gray, both absorbing and reflecting the emotions of all who see it.
It’s times like these when it becomes easy to forget the lush greens that inhabit Noblesville come spring and summer. During times like these, it becomes easy to forget the lush greens, from sprouting trees to revived grasses and even the stalks of corn and soybeans that inhabit Noblesville in the spring and summer, a reminder of the farming roots of the community. Some years, nature’s technicolor comes sooner, and some years require a little more patience. But currently, the construction boom has some residents wondering if the nature they have known will come back at all.
Debate has begun simmering in Noblesville over the relationship between the recent boom of ever-increasing commercial and residential development and the preservation of disappearing natural spaces and habitats. Noblesville’s 20,000 person growth between 2010 and 2020, according to U.S. Census Bureau data, explains the necessity of new developments. But many question whether the amount of development occurring is happening in the right way. While city leadership acknowledges that nature must be preserved alongside new development, many are worried that balance is being interrupted by corporate interests.
What’s Going On
Along with the city’s efforts to rebuild Noblesville’s roads, city planners are also adding new apartments. The recent increase in the city’s population has led to a demand for more housing. One planned development, the Morse Village apartments which would be built on Hague Road, would lead to the removal of hundreds of trees. One result of this would be the loss of wildlife habitat, including a popular set of eagles’ nests. Mark Boice, a member of Noblesville’s City Council, was one of the three representatives to vote against the construction of the Morse Village apartments.
“I first learned about the Morse Village development last spring when I met with LOR, the project developer,” Boice said. “During that meeting, they shared their vision and outlined their plans for the site. From the beginning, I recognized both the positives and negatives of the proposed development… I ultimately voted against the Morse Village development for several reasons, but my primary concern was how the project integrated—or failed to integrate—with the surrounding community.”
Boice said his vote against the project was influenced by the feedback he received from residents. He said he ultimately came to the conclusion that new development was not a good fit for both the people of Noblesville and the wildlife that also lives in the area.
“One constituent, a former planning director in another community, remarked that, ‘Changes should be gentle throughout a community with regard to mass, height, and density.’ That comment resonated with me because this development represented a significant departure from the character of the surrounding neighborhoods,” Boice explained. “Other than downtown, Noblesville does not have any four-story structures near single-family homes. The proposed large structures in the West Point area, in particular, felt incompatible with the existing residential landscape.”
Affects on Students
It happens every single morning, starting as early as 7:00 am. The sounds of jack hammers, giant work trucks, industrial equipment, combined with the many other inconveniences caused by the countless Hamilton county construction projects are some of the annoyances that many NHS students have become very familiar with. One of these students is sophomore Rashid Al Jund.
“It affected stuff outside the house like trash trucks not being able to take the trash. The construction affected me by waking me up in the mornings with the loud construction going on for hours almost daily,” Al Jund said “It affected little things like moving my bus stop about three blocks down from my house which is a little far.”
Not only does the construction happening all over the county restrict people’s movement, the work can affect their community as well, according to senior Katie Williams, a member of the NHS Conservation club, and an environmental science student.
“Just in my neighborhood, right across the street, there was a giant field. It was really pretty, lots of deer all the time. But now they just tore it all down and turned it into a big neighborhood. I know a lot of kids in my neighborhood really like to go over there and play. It’s just things like that, where it’s missing out on a lot of good times for the people of the community.”
Preservation Regulations
Although Noblesville has regulations regarding the preservation of natural areas throughout the development process, city regulations largely depend on what is deemed valuable. Many feel that these regulations are beneficial, but that it’s unclear how exactly it’s decided what is valuable versus what is unimportant to the natural environment.
The Noblesville Unified Development Ordinances (UDO) website, which lists the regulations and guidelines for new developments states that, “Existing features that would add value to residential development or to the community as a whole, such as trees, watercourses and water bodies, beaches, historic spots, and similar irreplaceable assets, shall be preserved in the design of the development.”
The city’s development guidelines include requirements such as retaining a certain amount of undeveloped land, replanting trees that were removed or damaged during construction, and protecting native vegetation. However, many residents feel that land developers can cut corners with regulations like these. When replanting trees, developers often plant cheap, short-lived trees to fill their quota, even though they’re aware that these plants will die quickly.
According to NHS freshman Sophia Sandler, “Noblesville does a nice job of retaining green space and taking care of the land. My concern is mostly with developers because they aren’t as invested in Noblesville’s environment as its residents.”
Sandler recognizes the need for commercial growth and housing in Noblesville, but believes that stricter ordinances would benefit the city’s natural beauty.
“It’s easy for [developers] to disrupt habitats and ecosystems and not really face repercussions for it, partly because we can’t immediately see the effects that has on the environment.” Sandler said. “I think Noblesville needs more strict regulations to hold people more accountable.”
Benefits of Green Spaces
Natural areas and green spaces are beneficial not only to the plants and animals that call them home, but also to the people that live near them, providing beautiful views as well as options for exercise and recreational activities. However, for AP Environmental Science teacher Eric Gurule, these are just one way that green spaces can be helpful.
“The other benefits that are maybe not as well known are things like cleaning the air by taking in carbon dioxide, providing oxygen, providing shade, keeping cities and urban areas cooler, and preventing runoff, so that there is more water sequestration and infiltration that gets water into the ground,” Gurule said. “One that I was unfamiliar with, until I went through my master’s program, was the amount of information on how places like parks and green spaces impact people’s mental health.”
But researchers have found that the benefits don’t end with what green spaces can provide for humans. According to Susie McGovern, the Hoosier Environmental Council Water Science and Sustainability Specialist, green spaces are vital for animals as well.
“Farmland can serve as valuable wildlife habitat. For example, the Indiana bat, which is a federally endangered species, has been known to use certain farmland in Indiana for foraging,” McGovern said.
Development on these lands can result in many issues that will affect more than just wildlife. All parts of the environment rely on each other, so changes in land also affect water, rainfall, and rivers, according to Gurule.
“When you clear farmland for urban development, you’re just capping that land [with concrete], so no water can get in, and you’re removing potential habitats for animals,” Gurule said. “You’re increasing traffic and congestion, so you’re increasing air pollution, and then the stuff that comes from roads like road salts and oil and different chemicals are going to end up running off into the waterways. You’re progressing to a maximum loss of nature, essentially.”
While some residents might feel there is no end in sight and no solution to development like this, multiple environmental groups around the state are working to create these solutions and policies. McGovern says economic development and natural preservation can coexist, and one need not be sacrificed for the other.
“It is important for communities to maintain a healthy balance of green spaces and developed areas,” McGovern said. “Smart growth is a city planning solution that encourages developers and cities to reinvest in existing areas, such as core downtown centers, rather than consuming farmland and other open spaces.”
McGovern explains that debates on the intersection between commerce and preservation are complicated, and will take time to reach true balance and satisfying conclusions for all parties. But, for the time being, Williams has one piece of advice on the small things that everyone can do.
“Be green,” said Williams.
