PLAINFIELD — Hundreds of new homes could be coming to west Plainfield, but not without growing resistance from nearby residents.
The Westlyn Planned Unit Development (PUD), proposed by Pulte Homes, would add 473 single-family homes just south of U.S. Highway 40, stretching toward Hadley Road and County Road 600 South.
While developers and town officials say the project brings infrastructure improvements and meets community growth needs, many neighbors argue it threatens their quality of life.
Shaylee Miller, who lives near the proposed site, says the area’s quiet and rural feel is at risk.
“Everybody that lives down the road, we’re not a fan of what’s been talked about,” she said.
Miller added that she and her neighbors enjoy walking, riding four-wheelers and living without traffic or noise issues.
“We don’t have people bothering us or cars coming in and out,” she said.
Jack Estes, another nearby resident, helped organize a petition against the development, which he plans to present to the Plainfield Plan Commission at its September meeting. The petition lists concerns including overdevelopment, loss of farmland, destruction of wildlife habitat and potential groundwater pollution.
“The community is overdeveloped already," Estes said.
Some residents, including Miller, said they even considered moving once they heard about the project.
A similar proposal by a different developer was submitted in 2018 for the same land but was later withdrawn. Now, Pulte Homes says it has worked extensively with town staff and stakeholders to refine this plan and move forward responsibly.
In a letter to the Plan Commission dated July 7, 2025, Pulte objected to a requested delay in the review process, arguing that Indiana law requires a public hearing on zoning changes within 60 days of filing. The company emphasized that the project has been under review for months and it has met legal and procedural requirements.
Pulte outlined several benefits of the development in its response, including extended trail access across the property, more than $1.17 million in Park Impact Fees to support recreation infrastructure, modern drainage systems to replace uncontrolled runoff and coordination with INDOT on traffic planning.
Pulte added that a neighborhood meeting was held in June to answer questions, and while few of the petition signers attended, the company is still open to dialogue. It has offered to keep the public hearing open for 30 days following the September meeting to allow more community input.
For now, many residents say they plan to attend that meeting and make their voices heard. “We’re trying to raise awareness and get residents to show up there and voice their objections to this,” Estes said.
