Stop the Walmart Neighborhood Market in Turner Trace – Our Roads Can’t Handle It, and Neither Can Our Community! 

We, the residents of Avon and Hendricks County, Indiana, urge the Avon Advisory Plan Commission and Town Council to deny the Development Plan Review for the proposed Walmart Neighborhood Market on the ~10-acre site in the Village of Turner Trace (bounded by Avon Avenue, Governors Row, and Oriole Way/CR 150 South).

This large-scale grocery store with a drive-through pharmacy and vast parking lot would bring heavy truck deliveries, thousands of daily car trips, and bright overhead lights to an area already struggling with infrastructure challenges. Avon is growing rapidly, but approving this project without major upgrades would put profit over people, worsening problems for families, commuters, and the environment.

1. Crumbling Roadways and Infrastructure Strain 

Avon Avenue and surrounding roads like CR 150 South (Oriole Way) and US 36 (Rockville Road) are already in need of repairs and upgrades. The Town of Avon has ongoing projects for Avon Avenue reconstruction, intersections at Avon Avenue/150 South, and bridge work – showing these roads are stressed. Heavy Walmart delivery trucks and increased vehicle traffic would accelerate potholes, cracking, and wear on pavement not built for this intensity. Residents already deal with closures and maintenance delays; adding a high-volume retailer risks turning our local streets into unsafe, deteriorating hazards without guaranteed funding for immediate repairs.

2. Severe Traffic Impacts and Safety Risks 

The proposal seeks a major waiver for a full-access driveway on Avon Avenue only ~265 feet from nearby intersections – far short of the required 400 feet in Avon’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). Planning staff have flagged this as unnecessary, since the site has better access via Governors Row and Oriole Way. US 36/Rockville Road is notorious for congestion, especially during rush hours and weekends, with frequent backups and safety issues at intersections. Adding thousands of trips from shoppers and deliveries would create dangerous bottlenecks, increase accident risks, and strain emergency response times. An updated Traffic Impact Study is required – we shouldn’t approve until it’s proven safe!

3. Excessive Light Pollution and Quality-of-Life Harm 

Walmart is requesting a waiver for parking lot lighting up to ~3.5 foot-candles – more than double the UDO maximum of 1.6 – allowing bright glare to spill into nearby homes and streets. This would disrupt sleep, harm wildlife, waste energy, and erode Avon’s suburban character. Poorly shielded commercial lights contribute to broader light pollution issues, affecting health (like disrupted sleep cycles) and the night sky. We need developments that follow dark-sky-friendly standards, not ones that flood neighborhoods with unnecessary glare. Avon deserves smart, sustainable growth that fixes existing problems first. There’s already a Walmart Supercenter on US 36 – do we need another big-box store overwhelming our local infrastructure?

We call on the Avon Advisory Plan Commission and Town Council to REJECT this proposal and all requested waivers. Prioritize road repairs, traffic safety, and residential peace over unchecked commercial expansion.

Sign today and share widely! Attend the Plan Commission meeting on January 26th, 2026 at 6:30 pm to voice your concerns in person.