By ANDY COOK
Westfield Mayor
Editor’s note: The following is the first in a new series of columns from Westfield Mayor Andy Cook. These columns are scheduled to appear monthly in the pages of The Reporter.
As the mayor of Westfield, I know a lot of what we do benefits the rest of Hamilton County. The other cities can certainly say the same thing. Whether it’s investments in things like Grand Park or the Palladium or infrastructure improvements like Keystone Parkway or 146th Street, we are a very connected county. That is a good thing. I am a big proponent of regionalism. I’ll save that for another column.
Today I want to mention a topic with far-reaching consequences, not just to Westfield and Noblesville, but across the county. It has to do with State Road 32.
On Monday, March 22, a member of the Westfield City Council tried to introduce an ordinance to terminate the City of Westfield’s agreement with the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) to have SR 32 reconstructed through our downtown. Council President Mike Johns tried to add the ordinance to the meeting agenda at the last minute. Proper procedures were not followed so it was not discussed. I have to believe Councilor Johns intends to have it on the agenda at the next meeting on April 12.
This would be irresponsible if the council were to terminate this agreement. It would certainly hurt Westfield, but it has impacts on Noblesville too.
A little background: Improving SR 32 was studied by Westfield’s citizen-driven Grand Junction Task Group for almost 10 years. As a result, the 2018 Westfield City Council, including two present members (Edwards and Spoljaric), voted unanimously to enter into an interlocal agreement with INDOT to split the cost of the $15 million project 50/50. Any overages, the city would cover. Our goal was to work collaboratively on design such that we could create a boulevard that is walkable (very similar to the city road that goes through Clay Terrace), allows for increased traffic, looks good, preserves our most historic buildings and improves public safety. We have been working toward that end for the last two and a half years.
INDOT owns SR 32 – a major State Road that stretches across Hamilton County and into Boone County. The current section through Westfield is failing with an increasing traffic count of more than 17,000 vehicles a day. With the construction of our downtown destination, the Grand Junction Plaza, and the announcement of more than $60 million of private investment (and more to come), the amount of people and cars in our downtown will grow substantially in the next two to three years. So, instead of waiting for INDOT to take on the project, we accelerated the reconstruction and partnered with the state.
Our police and fire chiefs support the project, our Chamber of Commerce supports the investment, and we are working diligently with the historic preservation groups to ensure our past is embraced as we move into the future. I am sure most motorists want better mobility and residents want a walkable downtown.
Additionally, the project will not increase taxes as the city plans to pay for its portion with CASH. It seems like a win-win.
I want to be open – the original $15,050,000 estimate is accurate, but the total cost of the project will likely go up. We have had additional requests for historic mitigation from a local group (avoiding one house and moving the green Erika’s building), as well as Indiana Landmarks. We are working to accommodate them. That may cost an additional $1 million. Is the added cost worth it? If it keeps this critical project on course, then we will do what it takes.
Now, back to the move to pull out of the project.
To say it would be costly is an understatement. The design costs we have to pay amount to about $1.5 million, so far. But, there are more far-reaching impacts. Westfield could lose millions in future Community Crossing grants and Rural Call funds. Additionally, INDOT’s planned upgrade of SR 32 between Noblesville and Westfield is in jeopardy. This state-funded project was to start construction in 2026. It would have added much needed travel lanes and, specific to some of our citizen concerns, sidewalks to improve walkability in Westfield.
It is my hope that our communities will participate in this conversation and communicate the importance of the SR 32 Reconstruction. Feel free to email me at acook@westfield.in.gov and Westfield City Council members at CouncilMembers@westfield.in.gov.
SR 32 needs to be the road that our communities deserve and need.