The Zionsville Town Council approved an ordinance Nov. 3 to rezone 181 acres northeast of 200 South and Michigan Road to a planned unit development called the Maple Lane Club of Bradley Ridge, a mixed‑use project that will include a Watch Us Farm campus, neighborhood marketplace and single‑family homes.

Supporters told the council the PUD will expand Watch Us Farm, a Zionsville nonprofit that provides jobs and training for adults with intellectual disabilities. “By approving this development you’re not just shaping land use, you’re shaping lives,” Janice Agarwal, executive director of Watch Us Farm, told the council during the public hearing. Petitioner representatives said the PUD also includes trails, an 8‑foot path along 421 and 200 South, and a 200‑car parking commitment to serve a donated 26‑acre public parcel intended for park or sports use.

Why it mattered: Petitioners and supporters said the campus and related village‑style neighborhood address a regional lack of post‑school vocational and residential options for adults with disabilities. Opponents and nearby residents raised traffic and infrastructure concerns, particularly on 200 South and Michigan Road, and urged stronger commitments for road improvements and timing of any park construction. Plan Commission recommended approval by a 6–0 vote with one abstention before the council hearing.

What the ordinance covers: The PUD ordinance sets a maximum of 360 dwelling units (reduced from an earlier higher figure), removes townhomes as a permitted product, caps building height at 35 feet in residential blocks, increases perimeter buffers in several locations and includes a signed set of written commitments and a dedication agreement tied to the donation of 26 acres for public use. Petitioners said the PUD will preserve the historic red barn on the property and expand orchard/agricultural uses adjacent to Watch Us Farm programming.

Council action and conditions: Councilor Sarah Sampson moved to approve Ordinance 20‑25‑24 with written commitments, resolution of Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) comments and the dedication agreement; the motion was seconded and the council voted to approve the ordinance (motion recorded as passing: 7 in favor, 0 opposed).* The approval is conditioned on executing the written commitments and resolving TAC comments before development plan approval.

What remains undecided: Petitioners and staff said the detailed design of the neighborhood marketplace (retail pad) and final park layout will be determined in subsequent development plans and the town’s park design process. Petitioners agreed to remove single‑family dwellings as a by‑right fallback use inside the small Maple Lane Commons use block so that the corner market is more likely to be developed as commercial rather than additional homes.

The petitioners, the developer and staff said connection fees and traffic impacts will be addressed in subsequent engineering and TAC review. Citizens with questions about timing, construction staging and specific intersection improvements were advised that final engineering and TAC resolution would come back to the town under the usual review process.

*Vote tally and provenance: Motion language and the council’s roll call appear in the meeting record (transcript blocks referenced).