Eagledale Resident Offers Alternate Georgetown Road Plan

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This unused section of Cord Street would connect to 22nd Street in Jim Deffendall's plan.

Photo by Jay Thompson
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(posted May 4)

Eagledale resident Jim Deffendall has been trying to get someone's attention since last September to respond to his plan to avoid vacating Georgetown Road. Deffendall said prior to the Speedway Redevelopment Commission's plans to vacate Georgetown Road he purchased a mobile home at Georgetown Mobile Home Park as his retirement home.

Deffendall explained that about 100 residents would be affected in all three mobile home parks if Georgetown Road is eliminated. Most of the residents are senior or low income people who cannot afford to move. He said it would cost about $1,000 to move his 1971 mobile home. Even if the mobile home residents could afford the relocation, they are stymied as to where to locate because not every mobile home park will accept older manufactured homes.

Deffendall's idea is to extend the Cord Street road cut east of the Dirt Stripper onto 22nd Street, giving the mobile home residents and the American Legion Post access from the west side . His proposal also recommends extending the IMS tunnel into proposed road. Deffendall explained the "officials in Indianapolis should be looking at the traffic that is to be diverted from the Motor Speedway after race functions." The elimination of Georgetown Road exit from the track will increase the load on the two exits, 30th and 16th Street. "I own property in the Eagledale Subdivision, and the traffic already keeps us blocked in for hours after the events. Should there be a fire or any emergency, we are out of luck of getting service people in this area in a timely manner. I am sure the other areas around the track will also suffer from this extra traffic load."

Deffendall recommends that Speedway, Indianapolis and the State should revise the Speedway Redevelopment Commission's Master Plan to include the IMS donating the extension of Cord Street so people are not displaced.