Lebanon in dispute over construction access for Lilly development

LEBANON, Ind. (WISH) — The Lebanon City Council and area residents gathered Monday night to discuss a proposed development by Indianapolis-based pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Co.

The development wants to use Witt Road for construction access.

The Boone County Preservation Group was willing to vacate the road if an alternative was established. Last week, the Lebanon Plan Commission approved an alternate route that went west. However, it seems that compromise isn’t going through.

Jim Love, of the Preservation Group, told News 8, “So, now we’re back to the drawing board and having to prove our point again, which is quite a shame because the only way we’re going to get this done is through compromise … if the community had done just that. Apparently, we didn’t compromise enough and it just went completely their way.”

Other proposals would have a route go to the east and require slow-moving farming vehicles to cross railroad tracks twice, a safety concern that could cost lives.