Fox 59's Heather MacWilliams Carries Decatur's Story

Heather MacWilliams, Fox 59 reporter, did an excellent job reporting on the impacts of the Airport's un-American attempt to shut down a legal private business on private property.  She interviewed four of us yesterday; Bob Cockrum, Chip Pierson, Eldon Rasmussen, and me.  Click the hyperlink above to view the broadcast version and full text.

The Decatur Township Civic Council has taken a position in opposition to the Airport's lawsuit that seeks to overturn the MDC approval of the Fast Park project.  Three representatives of the Civic Council, Chip Pierson, Paul Fox, and I, attended Friday's Airport Board meeting to convey exactly why we took that position.  I was given 5 minutes to make our case.  MacWilliams was in attendence and followed up to hear more from our group.

Decatur has suffered from being a neighbor of the Airport all these years.  And, as Bob Cockrum put it, "Enough is enough".

All Americans should be concerned with the Airport's attempt to kill a legal business that customarily locates next to airports simply because it might cut into their profits and simply because they have deep pockets with which to accomplish a long drawn out and expensive legal battle.  Their role is to provide aviation infrastructure, period.  And it is abhorrently un-American, anti-capitalistic, and anti-economic development, for government to say what legal, upstanding business can and cannot be built on legally zoned private property.

As MacWilliams' reported:

Decatur Township residents are fighting a lawsuit the Indianapolis International Airport has filed to block a privately owned parking lot at Ameriplex just south of Interstate 70.

"All we want to do is to be able to park some cars out here while people go to the airport," said Bob Cockrum, Decatur Township resident.Sounds simple enough but the Indianapolis Airport Authority wants it stopped.

"We're just trying to do what we think is in the best interest for the airport and the community," said Michael Wells, IAA President.

Well said filling in that spot would be in direct competition of the airport. But residents said without it, they have nothing.

"We don't have a place to buy a new book, a new pair of shoes or shirt in our entire township," said Pat Anderson, Decatur Township Land Use Chairperson.

By attracting those businesses, Anderson said it will bring in approximately $500,000 in property taxes they so desperately need.

"For us it's dollars and cents. It's our tax base. It's our future. It's trying to get those basics for our people," she said.

People like Eldon Rasmussen who has lived next to the vacant land since 1969.

"We'd appreciate getting some finer establishments in," he said.

However, he said, since anything put there could be considered direct competition for the airport, where does it end?

"Are they going to oppose us to put in a filling station because they are going to put in a filling station on airport property," Cockrum asked. "Enough is enough."

Decatur Township Parks Chairman Chip Pierson believes it all comes down to money.

"That's what it boils down to is their greed and they want to shut out competition," Pierson said.

The matter is going before a Marion County Judge. A hearing date has not yet been scheduled, but the residents are ready.

"We're not backing off. The airport has crossed a major line and they've just gone too far for us," said Anderson

If you haven't done so already, would you please visit MacWilliams' report and 'recommend' it and 'share' it on social media. We need to get our story out to as wide an audience as we can. Thank you in advance.