Study to Examine Growth Around NSA Crane
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe U.S. Department of Defense has awarded a $200,000 planning grant to examine development around the Naval Support Activity-Crane in southern Indiana. Radius Indiana says the Joint Land Use Study will include five counties. April 8, 2014
News Release
Radius Indiana, the Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA), and the Indiana Office of Defense Development (IODD) are pleased to announce that a $200,000 planning grant has been awarded from the Department of Defense, Office of Economic Adjustment, to undertake a Joint Land Use Study (JLUS). The grant will address the compatibility of growth and development taking place around NSA Crane in Daviess, Greene, Martin, Lawrence and Sullivan Counties.
A Joint Land Use Study is funded primarily by the Department of Defense to study and make recommendations for land-use agreements between a defense base and its surrounding communities. In addition to the funding received from the Department of Defense, financial support has been committed by the Office of Community and Rural Affairs, Radius Indiana, and the county governments represented in the study.
“With procurements of more than a billion dollars of products and services annually, salaries and benefits of $326.6 million per year in the Radius Indiana region alone, and more than $2 million a day poured into Indiana’s economy, NSA Crane is an economic powerhouse for this region,” said Becky Skillman, President/CEO of Radius Indiana. “As the voice outside the gates for Crane, Radius Indiana has a strong relationship with the base. We have worked closely with Crane to ensure it remains viable for both defense and national security, as well as the economic benefits it provides to the region. Radius Indiana will work in concert with the base and all stakeholders to develop a land use plan that is beneficial to all those involved.”
Duane Embree of the Indiana Department of Defense (IODD) added, “New assets such as the Westgate@Crane Technology Park and I-69 demonstrate imminent growth around NSA Crane, and a Joint Land Use Study will be profitable to balance development opportunities with the need to protect critical mission-relevant activities on base. The Joint Land Use Study process challenges the participants to design strategies to protect the public’s health, safety and welfare, as well as our current and future military operational capacities.”
The grant primarily funds a professional consultant to work with participants and develop a report which provides recommendations and guidance to ensure future growth does not result in unforeseen challenges to the base and its surrounding communities. The report will include recommendations for on-base measures to minimize impact on the surrounding communities. OCRA is expected to to begin the consultant bidding process immediately, with a completion date of the Joint Land Use Study expected by July 2015.
ABOUT RADIUS INDIANA – Formed in 2009, Radius Indiana is a regional partnership representing eight counties in south central Indiana: Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Orange and Washington. The partnership also serves as a primary point of contact in Indiana for the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane Division. The partnership's mission is to advance the economy of the South Central Indiana Region by: generating high-quality employment opportunities; diversifying the region's economic base; and raising the standard of living for residents of the Region. To accomplish the mission of Radius Indiana, the partnership works diligently to develop and support the customized resources businesses need to successfully locate or expand in the South Central Indiana Region. The vision of Radius Indiana is to create a dynamic network of private and public partnerships that works together for the benefit of all. For more information, please visit www.radiusindiana.com.
Source: Radius Indiana