Developers try tired tactics to trick Hobart residents into a disastrous, dirty warehouse deal - residents aren’t buying it.

We’ve heard the story before: New jobs, economic development, low impact on existing communities. Warehouse developers specialize in coming to small towns, promising fairy tales, and then leaving town before it all goes sideways. 

This time, the community isn’t buying it. Members of the Hobart, IN community have come out in staunch opposition to a proposal from Becknell Services LLC (Becknell) to rezone 157 acres at the heart of Hobart (just 4,000 feet from the Indiana Dunes) to allow for the construction of a massive warehousing district. Once finished, this land would be occupied by at least 25 huge, “prison-like” warehouses with hundreds of semi-trucks going in and out of the complex every day–making as many as 400 trips per day. Over time, activists project that total could balloon to a whopping 2,100 truck trips per day, making Hobart unrecognizable.

A coalition of local activists and supporters has created a petition calling for the city to reject the project which has already garnered 1,563 signatures as of this morning, in addition to 60 on paper before the online petition launched. That’s more signatures than 6 out of the 7 city council members who received votes in the 2019 general elections.

Warehouse projects of this nature have been popping up all over Northwest Indiana and the Chicagoland area. It’s always the same story: a developer comes into town promising jobs and economic growth. Deals are then made behind closed doors with public officials, with minimal input from the community, who are left to deal with the fallout. 

We have seen this on the South and West sides of Chicago, where Amazon has been allowed to come into neighborhoods like Bridgeport and West Humboldt Park and build massive warehouses despite widespread community opposition. In Little Village, a working-class Mexican-American neighborhood, Hilco Redevelopment Partners recently rammed through a Target warehouse at the site of the former Crawford plant, one of the nation’s oldest and dirtiest coal-fired power plants. Hilco subsequently botched the demolition of the defunct plant, covering family-filled neighborhoods with a cloud of toxic ash during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The petition has 1,563 signatures as of this morning, in addition to 60 on paper before the online petition launched. That’s more signatures than 6 out of the 7 city council members who received votes in the 2019 general elections.

Both Amazon and Hilco, after receiving millions of dollars in tax incentives, have promised benefits to these communities that have quite simply failed to materialize, leaving residents to shoulder the social, economic, and environmental burden of their redevelopment projects. Corporate shareholders reap enormous profits, while working-class families are left to deal with the costs.

Just as community members from neighborhoods across Chicago have stood up in opposition to the big warehouse developers, so too are the people of Hobart standing up to Becknell. It is incumbent upon ordinary people across Northwest Indiana, not just Hobart residents, to support this community because a fight like this could soon be coming to your doorstep.

It is incumbent upon ordinary people across Northwest Indiana, not just Hobart residents, to support this community because a fight like this could soon be coming to your doorstep.

Environmental Impact Unknown

When asked by a city official at a public hearing how many trucks would be entering and exiting the facility per day, Becknell was initially hesitant to give the exact number. After being pressed, the company revealed that several hundred semi-trucks would be entering the facility every day.

People living in the neighborhoods adjacent to the facility would be exposed to high diesel emissions from this increased truck traffic. Exposure to diesel pollution has been shown to be associated with an increased risk of lung disease and certain types of cancers.

Additionally, the proposed Becknell project site is just a short distance from Deep River, which flows into Lake George. The operations inside the facility and the truck traffic going in and out on a daily basis will likely lead to runoff pollution that could impact these water systems. There has been virtually no discussion of this potential threat from either Becknell or the city.   

Also, just a short distance from the proposed facility is the Indiana Dunes National Park, a regional treasure in danger of being exposed to air and water pollution from Becknell’s operations. The people of Hobart deserve, at minimum, to know the potential environmental impacts of this project, including both effects on public health and local ecosystems.

Exposure to diesel pollution has been shown to be associated with an increased risk of lung disease and certain types of cancers.

Infrastructure

The increased truck traffic going in and out of the facility daily will significantly strain the city’s infrastructure. Because the site of the proposed project and the surrounding area has been zoned for residential use going as far back as 1947, the roads in this part of the city are not built to withstand semi-truck traffic. Once the facility is fully operational, it will not take long for the surrounding roads to start crumbling.

How does the city plan to fund the increased infrastructure costs for this project? This is a major question. Like many other communities in Lake County, Hobart has been faced with significant budgetary concerns. Property tax caps and the pandemic have made it difficult for municipalities in Northwest Indiana to raise the revenue needed for existing budgetary commitments.

It is almost certain that ordinary people in Hobart will be the ones to pay these increased costs one way or another, either in the form of higher taxes or new fees. At a time when many are struggling under rising inflation and rents, working-class families should not be asked to pay for the additional wear and tear on their roads and bridges that benefit major corporations while leaving them with the bill.

Once the facility is fully operational, it will not take long for the surrounding roads to start crumbling.

Lack of Transparency Raises Serious Concerns

In 2015, the City of Hobart revised its master plan to call for 60 acres of industrial development in the area along Mississippi Street. A year later, this number skyrocketed to over 600 acres. Some in the community have raised questions about these new plans. What prompted the city to shift course so dramatically and approve a tenfold increase in industrial development in the area?

The lack of transparency surrounding the decision-making process is, on its own, cause for alarm. The city government has been making decisions of such great importance to the future of Hobart without fully consulting and informing residents is both disturbing and unethical.  

Racist Rhetoric

Proponents of the Becknell project have employed racist dog whistles to garner support for the plan. In an effort to scare people into supporting the project, proponents have stated that if it is not approved, the land Becknell is seeking to have rezoned will instead be utilized for Section 8 housing. This disgusting rhetorical tactic is a not-so-subtle way of spreading fear based on racist and classist stereotypes. The goal is to get white residents of Hobart to back the plan on the understanding that it means keeping poor and working-class black and brown people out of the community.

Parallels to Other Development Projects Across the Region

The profound lack of transparency surrounding Becknell’s proposal and the absence of meaningful community involvement is a story that is all too familiar to communities across Northwest Indiana. In their efforts to support “economic development”, city governments around The Region have a long track record of ramming through controversial proposals that change the character of entire communities while soliciting as little input as possible from the people living in those communities.

Consider the parallels between the Becknell project and the proposed railroad overpass in Hessville that would destroy one of the city’s last remaining dunelands. Like the Hobart proposal, the Hessville project was initiated with minimal public input. While the city checked all the legal boxes, holding the required public hearings and allowing public comment, it made minimal effort to solicit feedback from the affected communities and tried to keep the project under the radar.

In their efforts to support “economic development”, city governments around The Region have a long track record of ramming through controversial proposals that change the character of entire communities while soliciting as little input as possible from the people living in those communities.

Current Status of Project, Next Steps

Becknell’s rezoning request passed the city planning commission 6-1 earlier this year. As of right now, it still needs to be voted on by the city council. Three council members have committed to voting no, but one more vote is still required to halt the proposal.   

Activists are hoping that 5th District Councilman Chris Wells will be that fourth vote. The first-term Republican and local math teacher is considered to be a pivotal voice. Those familiar with his thinking have indicated that he is currently leaning toward supporting the project. 

Councilman Wells has indicated that he believes the project will mitigate the tax burden on his constituents resulting from an Indiana Supreme Court case decided last year, which found that South Lake Mall overpaid on property taxes to the City of Hobart to the tune of tens of millions of dollars. As a result of that case, the city will be required to pay back over $20 million to South Lake Mall. This massive bill is over twice as big as the city’s annual operating budget. It is estimated it will take the city 50 years to pay it off. 

In addition to the three members of the city council, the mayor has also voiced concerns about the project. However, he has also indicated he will defer to the will of the city council. Although the mayor and a near majority on the council have come out against the rezoning, community members have expressed concern about the potential for the council to fail to act to stop the project.

Under state statute, if the city council does not take action on the rezoning request by July 20th, it automatically goes into effect. It is, therefore, possible for the council to green-light the rezone without actually voting to do so. There is real concern that this may happen since the mayor and most city council members are not running for re-election next year. Since they will not be on the ballot again, they may have little incentive to vote down the rezoning even though their constituents have made their opposition known.

Under state statute, if the city council does not take action on the rezoning request by July 20th, it automatically goes into effect.

How You Can Get Involved

If you want to stop the re-zone, there are many actions you can take. First and foremost, you can sign and share the petition. Adding your voice will help send a clear message to the city government that the people of Hobart are against Becknell’s plans for their community. You can also check out the No-Rezone Facebook page and spread the word on social media. 

Making people aware of what is happening is an essential first step in stopping the project. Thus, organizers are encouraging people to help them knock on doors, inform the community, and write and call their local council person to hold them accountable.

UPDATE: The Upcoming Vote

It is more important than ever to show your solidarity and support Hobart community members in continuing to build momentum.

On Wednesday, June 1, 2022, the re-zone went before the Hobart City Council for a first reading. Councilors Clausen, Waldrop, Wells, and Vinzant voted in favor of the re-zone, while Councilors Kopil, Maggio, and Huddlestun voted against it. After the vote concluded, the councilors who voted yes were met with boos and jeers from the crowd; many walked out.   

During the public comment section at the end of the meeting No-Rezone coalition leader, Joe Conn, spoke out against the project, calling on council members to do right by their constituents: “[Mayor Snedecor] said he trusts you guys to do the right thing, make the right decision. That’s what all of us are going to do. We have to. That’s the way we have this set up in our government. We have to trust you to do the right thing.” 

A final reading is expected on the issue in two weeks. Councilman Wells is expected to be the swing vote. At the recent city council meeting, he indicated he was still undecided on the re-zone. We join the people of Hobart in calling on Councilman Wells to do the right thing and vote no on the re-zone.