Citizens for Appropriate Rural Development
Brown County, Indiana
We hope you enjoy browsing our new CARD website. It is loaded with information, updates and some gorgeous pictures of Brown County, Indiana, the area that we are trying to protect and preserve.
 |
Magic Mist © Susan W. Showalter |
It has been a little over three years since CARD was formed, and in those years we have NOT heard the sound of a bulldozer or other construction at the intersection of Elkinsville Road and 135 South, where the commercial development of Club Story and further commercialization of the Story Inn are proposed. So, we are holding our own to date but cannot rely on past results alone for the future success we seek in preserving the beautiful valley we all call home.
CARD now has 175 members, individuals that reside, own property or just love and appreciate the peace, tranquility and rural atmosphere of this valley that is surrounded by Indiana's largest park and the Hoosier National Forest.
If you or someone you know, appreciates this beautiful area would like to join us, please click the "How to Join" link at the left.
We opposed the decisions made by two of the previous County Commissioners (who couldn't win their own primaries in 2008) to rezone to General Business approximately 45 acres in and near Story (which NEVER was a town — Read The Real "Story" on this website. This action created a commercial area the size of the county seat, Nashville. As they had done before, the former Commissioners Wolpert and Yager passed this zoning by a vote of 2-1, with Commissioner Austin opposing. This vote set a terrible precedent for the rest of the County.
We had to pay taxes to support the EX-Commissioners and then dig again into our pockets to pay legal and consultant expenses to halt the destruction of this beautiful, rural area by a handful of "Wannabe" developers.
In our ongoing legal challenge to Club Story, we have been successful so far (please follow the link to get the details), but will have to take additional action with respect to the new General Business zoning for the Bright property. Our legal advisors believe that several facets of the passage of the General Business zoning by the Commissioners have gone "over the line" and are open to legal challenge.
One thing we have already accomplished for sure — everyone agrees that "appropriate rural development" is an ABSOLUTE MUST for this area. Now, we just have to persuade enough people that condominiums, congestion, and noisy nuisances are NOT "appropriate" in THIS rural residential, agricultural and recreational area.
Please enjoy our new website, and if you are interested in joining or otherwise helping CARD, please follow this link.