Noblesville reader implores council to decline Beaver’s gravel pit request

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Dear Editor:

When Chris Beaver first looked at the parcel of land that he’s proposing to turn into a gravel pit along the White River, he couldn’t justify why his company would dig it.

“There’s not enough sand and gravel to justify the amount of money that I would spend and pain that everybody would come across,” Beaver said in his closing remarks at the Noblesville Common Council meeting on June 14. “There’s about 12 to 14 feet of gravel that I could take. That’s not enough to cover my cost, so I personally bought this land so that I would not put hardship on my company.”

Those are Chris Beaver’s very words in closing arguments at the Common Council meeting in early June. By his own admission, the venture at Potters Bridge Park would be a losing business proposition for his company, so I am asking: why is he pursuing it so hard? Beaver has spent a lot of money on a team (not just one attorney, but a team) of well-known Hamilton County lawyers, various experts which support his proposal, ad campaigns, both written in the Current and a new internet website, a lighted billboard on a pickup truck which goes around Noblesville on nights of the opposition’s peaceful demonstrations, etc.

If he is not going to make any money on this venture, why does he continue to petition the council to violate its own zoning regulations and the Noblesville Master Plan by asking a zoning variance on this park property?

Frankly, I don’t believe that Beaver will not make any money on this venture. Successful businessmen and women do not get that way by spending money on unprofitable operations, and we know that Beaver is a successful businessman, so the voracity of his campaign to dig a gravel pit at this park makes no sense.

If Mr. Beaver wants to make a land donation to the Parks Department for the benefit of his hometown, that is wonderful and we all say, “thank you.” But if that donation is contingent on rezoning favors from the council, then it’s not a donation but a deal being struck, and it’s not a deal that benefits the rest of us – only Beaver Materials.

I also ask why the council is still entertaining this proposal after two years of information presented by reputable professionals countering Beaver’s claims that no harm would come from this gravel pit – and by his own expert’s admission the potential for damage to the Noblesville water supply would be “moderate with careful monitoring.” What does that mean?!

As a resident of Hamilton County and a consumer of its water, any pollution exposure from damage to the water table this gravel pit would cause is too much. Who will monitor the monitors?

Water contamination can take three to seven years to affect a water supply. If and when that happens, who will be responsible for cleanup? Most likely, the taxpayers.

We heard no fewer than three proposals at the June 14 council meeting asking for rezoning to construct new single-family home subdivisions. Does the council believe these hundreds of potential new residents are not watching this petition play out? If Noblesville cannot guarantee a safe and affordable water supply, why would these potential homeowners choose to live here? There are other very fine towns in Hamilton County which are not being asked to consider construction of a heavy industrial operation within three to five miles of multiple neighborhoods and which communities can promise safe and affordable drinking water for the future.

Believe me, everyone is watching and awaiting this decision which will significantly affect the future of Noblesville.

Finally, if this proposal – which violates all current existing zoning law – is approved, what neighborhoods in Noblesville are safe from arbitrary rezoning at-will in the future? As a resident, I made the single largest financial investment of my life with the purchase of my home in Fairfield Farms. If I cannot trust my elected officials to honor their commitment to protect that investment, why would I choose to live here? We must as a community protect our residents from the interest of single individuals pursuing greater profits.

For these and multiple other reasons, I beg the council to decline Beaver’s request.

Pam Wind

Noblesville