Officials and citizens at Wednesday night’s Brown County Commissioners meeting debated a controversial proposal to pave Pumpkin Ridge Road, which leads to Mountain Tea State Forest. They say the project would disrupt natural habitats and bring additional traffic to a quiet area.
The Indiana Department of Transportation proposed the $7 million project in 2022. It would widen and pave the one-lane, gravel road to make travel safer. Project engineer Nick Batta said the road hasn’t been publicly maintained for years.
“The current roadway does not meet contemporary standards even for a low-speed recreational access road today,” Batta said. “As you can see, the area is very wooded and the existing roadway has a lot of curves to it that will need to be brought up to modern standards.”
The decision to approve the project was tabled after commissioners and citizens expressed concerns about the impact on residents and the natural environment.
“It kind of takes away the appeal of the state park back there,” said Elise Trimpy, a resident of the area. “I think the appeal of that park, particularly, is the seclusion, the primitive nature, less traffic.”
Lack of communication on the project is an issue for resident John Mueller. He said he received a postcard from the state notifying him of the project and public meetings.
“In my opinion, it's been intentionally quiet and non-transparent. They want to bulldoze this project through. And I completely object to it,” Mueller said. “I do not object to improving the road for the residents back there, not for access to the State Forest. Yes, that's great, but for the residents now, I'm going to tell you right now that road, in particular past the turn, is in the best shape it's been right now.”
A Brown County resident who introduced herself as Indy said she moved to the area for the peace and quiet of nature. This project would disrupt that nature.
“This is not a matter only of Brown County. It is a matter of how we are as humans, how we treat our nature and how we treat each other,” she said. “And so this is much more than just a little paved road in the middle of nowhere.”
Resident Marra Cromer read a letter from her father, who lives on Pumpkin Ridge Road. The letter expressed concern about the project’s potential to disrupt the natural environment.
“The expansion would endanger not only my property, but also the pond and the surrounding ecosystem that serve as a vital habitat for local wildlife,” the letter said. “At this time, I am also battling various health issues. The added stress of this project and the uncertainty has placed an overwhelming burden on me.”
INDOT would evaluate issues such as endangered species and community impact when deciding how to proceed.
Approval from the county is needed before construction can begin. No plans were finalized at the meeting.
