'Burb Bites: Westfield Costco plan heads to public hearing

• The 166,739-square-foot warehouse and fueling facility planned for 191st Street and East Street could attract up to 9,000 customers on a typical weekday, plus additional Saturday traffic.
• Costco wants a left-turn entrance from 191st Street, which company officials say is important for shoppers approaching from the west. But some council members have called that access configuration a safety concern.
• A public hearing for the proposal is set for tonight at 7pm inside Zionsville Town Hall.

🏗️ Also in Westfield, a 41-acre stretch along U.S. 31 and the Monon Trail could become one of the city's next major mixed-use districts.

• The Jaffe Cos. and New City Development are seeking approval for a project tentatively called 161 and Monon, with plans for roughly 90 townhomes, hundreds of apartments, restaurants, retail, entertainment space and an office component.
• The proposal also includes new internal roads, public gathering areas and a parking garage with over 900 spaces. The developers hope to begin site work in spring 2027 and building construction by late 2027.

🗳️ Hamilton County is moving to a countywide vote center model beginning with the 2027 municipal elections.

• The election board unanimously approved the change last week, joining 72 other Indiana counties. So instead of being restricted to an assigned precinct, voters will be able to use any of 57 designated vote centers around the county.
• That gives HamCo voters fewer locations than the current 102 polling places, but more than the 28 locations required under state law.
• Most of the sites will be schools and will operate from 6am to 6pm on Election Day. Officials say rolling out the system for the 2027 elections will give them a chance to work out the process before the higher-turnout 2028 presidential election.

🚜 Zionsville Parks and Recreation could take over daily operations at Maplelawn Farmstead next year, potentially giving the historic property a broader role in the town's park system.

• The Depression-era farm at Whitestown Road includes a homestead dating to about 1835 and other historic structures, and has been run by a volunteer board for roughly two decades.
• Parks officials say they could expand programming and events while pursuing grants to support the property.

🌳 Also in Zionsville, Carpenter Nature Preserve is getting an accolade just months after opening on the former Wolf Run Golf Course.

• The 215-acre Zionsville preserve was named the Accelerate Indiana Municipalities Community Green Project of the Year, with the statewide municipal organization citing its planning, scale and involvement of local schoolchildren.
• The park includes 2 miles of trails, a nature playground, outdoor classroom, and wildlife viewing areas.
• Future work is expected to add wetland boardwalks and trails while restoring portions of Eagle Creek.

🍣 Chiba Indy has shut down its Park Street restaurant after almost 10 years in Westfield.

• Owner Keith Dusko announced the closure by thanking the community and suggesting the restaurant's story wasn't finished.
• The closure comes as Westfield undertakes a roughly $6.2 million reconstruction of Park Street, which is being redesigned as a multi-use corridor linking to the Midland Trace Trail.
• The restaurant opened in 2017. Dusko previously worked in the sushi business in New York and operated a Chiba location in New Orleans.