LAPORTE, Ind. – Farmers already feeling squeezed and harassed by a growth in residential development are voicing opposition to a proposed subdivision in Indiana.

The LaPorte County Commissioners on March 16 gave preliminary approval to rezoning about half of a 166-acre parcel from agriculture to residential. The remainder of the mostly undeveloped wooded parcel in the northwest part of the state is already zoned for residential use.

Sloan Avenue Land Opportunities made the rezoning request on a mostly wooded undeveloped parcel on Indiana 2 between 350 East and 450 East near Rolling Prairie. The LaPorte County Plan Commission gave a favorable recommendation to the rezoning on Feb. 22.

Farmer Jim Paarlberg, of 4701 E. 300 North, said he’s lost count of the middle fingers aimed in his direction over the years by drivers passing him from behind on his slow moving tractor going in and out of his fields.

“Sometimes we get saluted and it’s usually not a friendly salute,” he said.

Paarlberg, who raises crops like tomatoes, onion sets, garlic and seed corn, also expressed concern about the risk to residents from his sprayers applying crop protectant at least a dozen times a year beside the southern edge of proposed subdivision.

He and other farmers are also worried about receiving more complaints about the smell of manure applied in their fields.

“People that sometimes move out to the country sometimes don’t understand all of the things we do and then we have to deal with the consequences of that,” Paarlberg said.

Farmer Joe Baltes questioned the need for more housing in that area, saying there are 30 still undeveloped parcels in a nearby subdivision.

“Why are we proposing to build another housing development before that one is filled up,” he said.

Baltes operates a hog farm about a mile southeast of the proposed subdivision and raises crops on land northwest of the proposed development. “We get a lot of complaints about the odor from houses along the fields,” he said.

Dairy farmer Mike Eckovich said he’s also concerned about storm run-off making its way from the subdivision to adjacent farmland and taking some of the manure and chemicals applied in the fields into ditches and retention ponds.

He also proposed requiring greenspace between the farms and subdivision to reduce odor from manure to residents if the plans are approved.

“I’m here to protect my children who are already taking part in the dairy farm and adjacent farmers as well,” Eckovich said.

La Porte County Commission President Sheila Matias said she’s concerned primarily about the possibility of chemicals, while being sprayed, drifting onto nearby residents and their pets.

Her other worries include what impact storm water from the subdivision would have on nearby fields.

“I know the plan commission has struggled with this and that’s why their vote was not unanimous,” Matias said.

La Porte County Commissioner Rich Mrozinski said the development plans include methods for controlling drainage along with vegetation buffers.

Mrozinski also said prospective buyers, when they visit the site, don’t have to purchase the homes if they’re offended by things like smell.

He said La Porte County needs more new housing along with the property tax revenue that would be generated by the subdivision.

“At least move it forward so we can get some answers to these questions to make sure that if they’re going to do it, they do it right,” Mrozinski said.

The commissioners decided to meet with the developers and other stakeholders to try to have their concerns addressed before making a final decision.