IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME
In the movie Field of Dreams, Kevin Costner is inspired to build a baseball diamond in the middle of his Iowa cornfield to attract baseball legends of the past with the voice in his head “If you build it, they will come”. Let’s listen to our voices. Without a doubt, there is a housing shortage in Plymouth. Evidenced by a drive through two relatively new developments within the city limits of Plymouth: Centennial Crossing and Eastwood. Eastwood has zero houses for sale, one house under construction and a few empty lots suitable for building. Centennial Crossing has only one home with a “for sale” sign displayed in the yard.
Some may say what Plymouth needs is more low-income housing; I would argue we just need housing. Eastwood has higher income houses. Once built, they attracted buyers almost to capacity. Centennial Crossing has a combination of beautiful homes, town homes and apartments, near the park, with very walkable sidewalk connections- it has provided an attractive option for those wishing to downsize with no yard maintenance responsibilities and housing for working families. Those developments were built and attracted the population to fill them. Why not build more of these middle-class houses and attract working families.
With so many people working remotely as a result of COVID, they may live wherever they choose, why not Plymouth? Plymouth has much to offer: a good public school system plus a few attractive options for private school, a great parks department with youth and adult sport leagues, miles of greenway trails for walking, running, and biking; an up and coming arts scene, the Farmers Market once again underway for its 21st year, lakes and a river for fishing and boating, golf courses, gyms, and our downtown continues to attract new businesses. Local businesses and our city of Plymouth need residents with paychecks to survive. Once the remote workers are lured to Plymouth, who knows, they may be ready to abandon the work-from-home model and seek employment in a physical space, thus attracting more industry. It is not suggested that the current subsidized housing we have be eliminated but, if developers and architects are allowed to continue to build government subsidized housing, the population to fill those housing units will come. If developers build homes for working families, that population of residents will come. There is a $3.5 billion Battery Plant under construction in New Carlisle that will employ 1,600 people with an average salary of $50,000. They will come. What is your dream for the fields of Plymouth (particularly the one behind Webster School)? I encourage you to let your mayor, city council members, and the board of zoning appeals members know.
https://www.plymouthin.com/council
https://www.plymouthin.com/department/board.php?structureid=14
Respectfully,
Mrs. Christine Morrow
920 Angel St.
Plymouth, IN 46563
