wetland protections

A rendering of the proposed retail development.

IDEM rejects permit to transform Franklin Township wetlands into warehouses, hotel

Abriana Herron

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) denied a permit application to turn wetlands in Marion County into a retail complex last week. Gershman Partners submitted a permit in February to transform wetlands in Franklin Township – on the northeast corner of East County Line Road and South Arlington Avenue – into an area with warehouses and a hotel. IDEM rejected the proposal stating the developers did not show “reasonable alternatives” to destroying the wetlands.

Beanblossom Bottoms is a wetland nature preserve near Bloomington. SB 246 would allow the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to certify some acres of ground as a wildland — which counts as a tax break.

Statewide

Tax breaks for preserving wetlands heads to governor's desk

Rebecca Thiele

SB 246 would allow the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to certify some acres of ground as a wildland, which counts as a tax break. It's not to be confused with a bill already signed into law that would take away wetland protections.

A new home being built just outside of Ann Arbor, Michigan. In communities like Bloomington — which already have tight restrictions on development — Indiana Business Research Center's Phil Powell said environmental regulations can have more of an effect than they might in other parts of the state.

Statewide

How much do environmental regulations like wetland protections add to home prices?

Rebecca Thiele

Groups that represent home builders and developers often talk about how environmental regulation adds to the cost of building a new home, making home ownership unaffordable for many Hoosiers. But just how much do environmental regulations specifically factor into the price of a home?