One proposal calls to locate I-69 on State Road 37 with some interchanges along the route.
“If this occurs, it will have a huge impact on restaurants and businesses along the route,” wrote Perry Township Schools Superintendent Thomas Little in his “Little Observations” column, which is published in The Southsider Voice. “I am told they will be forced to move and quite possibly be forced to relocate outside Perry Township. The loss of assessed value and community support from these business owners simply cannot be replaced.”
Dr. Little also noted his concern for the safety children on buses and students who would have to cross busy intersections, should the option be adopted.
State Rep. Brent Waltz has been critical of the route because it would have a negative impact on the economy of Perry Township while drastically reducing the assessed property valuation of the area.
Several years ago, then-Perry Township Trustee Jack Sandlin, now a member of the Indianapolis City-County Council, led the charge against the State Road 37 corridor.
A citizens group, Preserve Perry Committee, is also opposed to I-69 coming through the township, particularly along the State Road 37 corridor.