HENDRICKS COUNTY, Ind. -- A neighborhood in Hendricks County on the edge of the Town of Brownsburg is deeply concerned about a proposal to transform nearby fields into a possible industrial zone.
Many of those living in the Highland Springs neighborhood may likely tell you they moved to the area to find a quiet and peaceful setting.
"You come out here and look at the backyards, it’s beautiful," described homeowner Jonathan Hibbard. "It’s great scenery. It’s the things we were promised when we were buying the place. These are the kind of things that you want to be able to provide for your kids."
The neighborhood sits on the fringes of Brownsburg in Hendricks County, but it is not technically a part of the Town of Brownsburg.
"We’re basically disenfranchised county residents here," Hibbard described.
Hibbard and other neighbors said they felt particularly isolated and helpless when they learned the Town of Brownsburg was looking to rezone some land right in their backyards.
"We don’t want a concrete jungle in Brownsburg," homeowner Cheryl Smitherman said.
The Town of Brownsburg has not annexed the land yet, but town officials want to rezone it for industrial use. That could include anything from bio-diesel production to a chemical manufacturing facility.
"Who wants that in their backyard," Hibbard asked. "Nobody".
Neighbors like Smitherman have a wide range of concerns and questions about the proposal.
"What’s the environmental impact on the natural habitat," Smitherman asked. "What’s the environmental impact on air and sound? Is it going to be some huge building now where we’re not going to be able to sell our property."
Smitherman said she is mostly worried about her family’s health.
"I am a three-time cancer survivor, so that impacts me," she said. "Three out of my five kids have asthma, so air quality is important."
While neighbors said they are okay if those fields turn into something new eventually, they said they want it to be done in a way that is cooperative, transparent and safe.
"We seek a positive collaboration," Smitherman said. "We want transparency. We want a voice in all of this process so we can minimize or mitigate the impact on our health, our environment and the property value of our homes."
Right now, town officials are supposed to vote on the issue on Thursday. Neighbors said one council member did come out and speak with them Monday evening.
FOX59/CBS4 reached out to the Town of Brownsburg but has not yet heard back.