Image: Grapevine Creek; © Kay Westhues.
Our Vision
The St. Joseph County Open Space and Agricultural Alliance, a grassroots citizens group, is working to change the priorities of the county’s governing bodies so that they protect farmland and natural areas from development instead of targeting them for development. Farms and natural areas are precious assets for our county that benefit all county residents. Well managed, they protect soil fertility, water quality, and biodiversity. They provide a beautiful, healthful setting for outdoor recreation and make durable contributions to the local economy. They are also irreplaceable: once a farm or natural area is turned into an industrial site, a residential neighborhood, or a strip mall, it can never be restored to its former condition. Sustainable development for St. Joseph County, then, should focus on in-fill development that sensibly re-uses existing industrial sites and revitalizes historic neighborhoods to sustain the vibrant and balanced mix of landscapes—urban, suburban, small-town, rural, and natural—with which our county is blessed.
The Problem
The St. Joseph County Economic Development Office is now creating a plan for an Indiana Enterprise Center that threatens up to 22,000 acres (33 square miles) of prime farmland in northwest Saint Joseph County and nearby natural areas like Bendix Woods and Spicer Lake with heavy industrial and residential development. Heavy industry depletes resources, stresses roads with excessive wear, and pollutes the environment. Run by large corporations rather than local people, heavy industry alters the social structure of the community. If this plan is implemented, it would completely supplant the rural community that now lies between New Carlisle and South Bend, replacing the rural landscape with what the planners have termed “a mega-industrial park.” The Open Space and Agricultural Alliance opposes this plan and the Development Office’s related efforts to force farmers off the land and it seeks to give the citizens of St. Joseph County a strong voice to speak against the plan to our elected officials in county government, who have the power to reject this immensely destructive plan.
If you share our vision and our concern about this development plan, please sign up for our email list and invite others to join our Facebook Group!