As our community returns to normal after Thanksgiving last week, many of us are reflecting on how decisions with long-term consequences should be made openly, not through selective information and private access.
Over the past several days, major developments in both the courts and city council have confirmed why residents continue to demand transparency and accountability.
1️⃣ Court filings reveal a private March 25 caucus meeting with SK hynix
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17jgVqwVcX/?mibextid=wwXIfr
https://www.basedinlafayette.com/p/sk-hynix-prf-ask-for-summary-judgment
New filings from SK hynix and PRF confirm that company officials attended a closed-door caucus with all Democratic members of the City Council on March 25—just six days after the Area Plan Commission voted 9–5 to recommend denial of the rezoning.
Residents were never informed that SK hynix had private access to council members during the exact period when public criticism was rising and councilors were preparing for the May 5 vote.
This new disclosure contradicts months of assurances about a “transparent” process.
2️⃣ Only 31 property owners received formal notice
The same filing states that just 31 property owners within 200 feet were notified—less than a fraction of the thousands of people whose homes, schools, daycares, walking routes, and congregations surround the site.
Meeting the bare minimum legal requirement is not the same as genuine community engagement.
For a heavy-industrial megasite, it is nowhere near enough.
3️⃣ Council delays Site A downzone—again
During last night’s four-hour council meeting, the City Council once again postponed the vote to downzone Site A, citing that a PRF attorney was “not available.”
This is the second delay in two months, despite PRF framing the downzone as part of their “commitment” used to justify rezoning Site B.
The result:
PRF receives every benefit of the rezoning, while its promised safeguards remain indefinitely on hold.
4️⃣ What’s Happening in the Lawsuit
In the days before Thanksgiving, Purdue Research Foundation (PRF) and SK hynix filed a motion for summary judgment, attempting to end the residents’ lawsuits before the facts of the rezoning process receive a full review in court.
At the Dec. 1 hearing, our attorneys told the judge that the motion was premature because they are still working through what they described as a “hay mound” of evidence — documents, communications, and procedural records that must be sorted and examined before the case can move forward properly.
Judge Persin encouraged both sides to continue working through the evidence.
At the same hearing, long-time local attorney John Burgett — who has practiced in Tippecanoe County for more than six decades — argued that the City Council’s 6–3 vote in May was “totally arbitrary, capricious, and a blatant abuse of discretion,” and emphasized that the court must consider the impact on “taxpayers and homeowners who were not protected during the rezoning.”
The judge has not yet ruled on Burgett’s request to submit an amicus brief.
Why this matters
These developments highlight the same theme:
A project of this scale—adjacent to homes, wetlands, schools, and daycares—requires full transparency, not information revealed months later in litigation or delayed commitments that never materialize.
Residents deserve open governance, not private caucus meetings.
They deserve meaningful notice, not a 31-household technicality.
They deserve credible commitments, not repeated postponements.
Thank you for staying strong
Despite the weather, nearly a dozen neighbors showed up at last night’s council meeting.
Media coverage was present—J&C, WLFI, and independent reporters—reflecting the public attention.
The lawsuit continues, and so does the public scrutiny.
What you can do next
1. Share this update
Most neighbors still do not know about the March 25 caucus meeting or that only 31 owners were notified.
Sharing clear facts strengthens community awareness.
2. Display or request a yard sign
Visibility reinforces that concerns are widespread, not marginal.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc07CMjsWD05B4ZEZhloiEx7akh9tWe-imCMiw9BmDop8BqsQ/viewform
3. Stay informed and sign up for the newsletter
Follow our Facebook about court developments, council actions, and community efforts and visit our website.
https://www.facebook.com/stopheavyindustry
https://stopheavyindustry.com/
4. Support the legal fund if you can
Even small-dollar support sustains the case and shows the court and city that residents remain engaged.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-our-neighborhood-from-industrial-threat
Thank you for staying steady, factual, and united.
Thank you for caring about the future of our homes, water, schools, and neighborhoods.
And thank you for insisting that West Lafayette deserves transparency, not closed-door meetings and surprises.
— Stop Heavy Industry Team
Links to learn more:
https://www.basedinlafayette.com/p/sk-hynix-prf-ask-for-summary-judgment
https://www.basedinlafayette.com/p/a-day-in-court-sk-hynix-rainbow-trout