Preserving Indiana s Agricultural Heritage Activity

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1 Name: Activity The situation: You are a participant in a committee for the Industrial Widget Corporation, which is trying to find a suitable location to build a widget factory in this state. The committee has it narrowed down to six locations in three counties: Urban County Location near the airport Location near downtown Transition County Location on outskirts of the suburbs Location near railroad tracks near county seat Rural County Location on several acres of farmland that is being rezoned Location on the banks of the Rural River Your assignment: In the following pages you will find the information about the six locations in the three counties. First, you must decide on your own which location is best and justify your choice with a short essay. Next, you will be broken up into small groups to discuss your choices with your classmates. Your group will then come to a consensus as to where you all think the factory should be built and present that information to the class. Grading: You will be graded on what you wrote for your personal decision, your participation in the group discussion, and your participation in the presentation of your group s decision.

2 Urban County: Locations One and Two Urban County is the location of the state capital, so the county is one big city. It s also the location of Urban International Airport, which has the ability to transport goods throughout the country and the world. Highway 1 also runs through the county, so it would not be difficult to transport goods between states as well. Advantages to building in Urban County: There is an available workforce close by. Infrastructure is guaranteed elements such as sewage, drainage, fiber optic lines for internet, etc. are already in place and do not need to be built. There is an ease of shipping to local and international locations with the airport close by. The cost-benefit analysis is favorable in support of building in the city shorter distance to transport goods to be shipped out as opposed to having to drive them farther distances to get to the airport is worth the extra costs of building in the county.

3 Disadvantages to building in Urban County: The EPA lists this particular urban area as non-attainment (areas of the country where air pollution levels persistently exceed the national air quality standards) and could limit federal and state funding, thus increasing operating costs. Increased activity in the county with the addition of the factory could negatively impact traffic in the area. Location 1: The first location is in an area of low-income housing and buildings near the Urban International Airport that is being rezoned for industry. The area includes an historic church and an urban center. Advantages to building in this location: Close to airport, lowering transport costs. Cheaper location of the two in the county. Disadvantages to building in this location: Location 2: Would be displacing a large group of people to build in the area. Noise issues by being close to the airport. The second location is in an undeveloped brownfield near the outskirts of the downtown area. Advantages to building in this location: While not next to the airport, still in close proximity. Helps contribute to urban renewal. Gets a once abandoned property back onto the tax roles. Brownfields are cheaper to purchase than other areas. Disadvantages to building in this location: Could be difficult to transport products out during peak traffic hours. Liability associated with the environmental damage already done at the brownfield site. So, in the case of the sites in Urban County, it boils down to economics vs. environment.

4 Rural Transition County: Locations Three and Four Rural Transition County lies between Urban County and Rural County and contains elements of both. Half the county is suburbs while the other half is still rural farmland. While Highway 1 runs through this country like Urban County, the Transitional Railroad line cuts through it as well, offering two distinctly different forms of transportation in and out of the area. Advantages of Building in Rural Transition County: Available workforce from both Rural Transition County and Urban County. Opportunity to build the building the way you want it, instead of conforming to an existing structure or strict zoning codes that you could run into in an urban setting. Importing/exporting materials and goods should not be difficult with both road and rail to choose from. The factory has the potential to be a springboard for growth in the county, both economically and in terms of increasing population. The factory will also provide employment opportunities for the residents of this county, bolstering expendable income in the area and raising the tax base for the county due to the new residents moving in to work.

5 Disadvantages of Building in Rural Transition County: Given the considerable size of this company, many acres will be needed in order to build. Additional transportation costs will be necessary to move goods to the airport or to the river for international travel. Risk of negative impact on traffic. Cost of municipal services (police/fire protection, sewer and water, schools, etc.) Location 3: The third location is just on the outskirts of the suburbs in an undeveloped area that is already zoned for industrial. Advantages to building in this location: The infrastructure is there already for building as opposed to the other location in the county. Close available workforce. Disadvantages to building in this location: Location 4: Property values have the risk of dropping due to having a large factory in the suburbs backyard. Potential conflicts with existing agriculture operations. Inadequate (rural) road infrastructure. Lack of/high cost of police and fire protection. Potential for negative environmental impacts. The fourth location is on the railroad near the county seat. Advantages to building in this location: Being close to the rail line reduces transportation costs. Proximity to county seat brings some benefit. Disadvantages to building in this location: There is no infrastructure and would be a considerable cost to the county to build sewage lines and roads. Greater employee transportation costs. Fragmentation of resource. Potential for environmental issues in undeveloped areas. So, in the case of the rural transition site, it boils down to: Economics (better) vs. Cost to the community in the form of 1) detraction of one industry (farming) and, 2) the cost to build the roads, water and sewer lines, schools, police and fire, etc.

6 Rural County: Locations Five and Six Rural County lies between Rural Transition County and the Rural River. The county consists of nothing but farmland and several small communities. Like the other two counties, Highway 1 runs through the county, but with the large Rural River running along the edge of the county, there is also access to international shipping since the Rural River eventually reaches the ocean. Advantages to Building in Rural County: Land is the cheapest and least taxed of the three counties. The river makes shipping easy and inexpensive from either location in the county. Disadvantages to Building in Rural County: There are issues with having an adequate workforce (where they will come from). There is no current infrastructure at all, thus everything would have to be built from scratch. Potential for negative environmental impacts.

7 Location 5: Location five is several acres where three farmers whom have had a rough couple of years and are in a position to sell their land to have it rezoned for industrial. Advantages The land is cheap. There is enough acreage to accommodate any type of building the company would want to build. Disadvantages Location 6: Constructing the building will disturb the agricultural heritage of the area. The new building could lead to new development, which will lead to extension of sprawl. Potential negative environmental impacts. Location six is an area along the Rural River, which leads to the ocean. It is also next to the Rural River Wildlife Preserve, which is home of a major endangered species breeding project. Advantages The land is cheap. There are natural amenities that are attractive to a new business (scenic work environment, etc.) Easy to move goods. Disadvantages Disturb the agricultural heritage of the area. Increase in sprawl. Potential negative environmental impacts. Potential for protests and litigation because of proximity to wildlife preserve (bad publicity). So, in the case of the rural site, it boils down to: Economics (best) vs. potential for negative impact on the environment, the transition of one industry into another, and having a sustainable workforce (will people really move out into the hinterlands just to work (no retail, poorer schools, etc ))

8 Assignment 1: Your Decision Directions: In the space below, write two paragraphs regarding your decision. In the first paragraph, state your decision and the positives you think there are to building in that location. In the second paragraph, discuss what you think might be the problems with building in that location.

9 Assignment 2: The Group s Decision Directions: In your small group, discuss your decision as to where you d like to build the factory. Once everyone in the group has shared their choices, come to a consensus in your group and be prepared to defend it to the rest of the class. Discuss with your groupmates the positives and negatives of the chosen location and discuss possible questions that might be asked of you regarding your decision. Use the space below to write down notes and questions that might be brought up.