Many in the Lapel area have been opposed to the relocation of the airport, some because they didn’t like the way it was being proposed and others because they didn’t want to have an airport nearby or lose their land to it, Shuck said.

“I don’t want an airport here to take my home,” Boone said. “I’d lose my home, and I’d have to move.”

Discussion of the airport relocation has calmed down in recent weeks, Shuck said, but Lapel residents and town officials still are preparing to deal with the issue if interest resumes.

Besides preparing for a potential airport, the town is getting ready for an eventual upturn in the economy.

“We can start growing our commercial base,” Shuck said. “It will show other developers that we’re growing, we want to grow and we’re willing to work with developers to do that.

“Right now, the demand’s down because no one has any money. When things start to pick up again, we’ll be ahead of the curve a little bit. When things start to percolate a little better as far as the markets go, we’ll be there.”

Lapel has annexed several properties in the past two years in its mission to develop the small town. It has the disadvantage of being farther from Interstate 69 that other towns like Pendleton and Ingalls, but more properties belonging to the town makes it easier for developers to plan sites there.

“The developer knows what he has to go through,” Shuck said. “We better define exactly where Lapel is so they know who they have to deal with.”

All recent annexations in Lapel have been voluntary, and no one has opposed the most recent annexations, Molina said.

The town’s additions will not affect its tax base, as most has been retained as agricultural property, allowing the town to waive taxes for 10 years. If the land is rezoned and developed, it could add to the tax base.

In the meantime, Shuck and other Town Council members hope to continue adding land to Lapel’s limits, piece by piece, as the south side of the county continues to grow.

“We’ve got more annexations on the horizon,” Shuck said.

---------

Properties annexed into Lapel in the past two years include:

— 82 acres on Ind. 32 just west of Lapel High School