Mitchell Vision Plan
Community Profile
LocationMitchell, Indiana is located in the heart of Southern Indiana, just south of the White River. Contributing economies include Bedford, Bloomington, and New Albany. A rich culture and several attractions surround the community, including: Spring Mill State Park, Hoosier National Forest, Bluesprings Caverns Park, the Devil's Backbone and Persimmon Ridge Golf Course. Mitchell is easily accessed from SR 37 and SR 60, and it is only a short drive to major cities including Indianapolis, Evansville, and Louisville. Local amenities such as the Grissom Memorial, Antique Row, good schools, and small town charm work together to enhance the quality of life in Mitchell. HistoryOn September 29, 1853 a railroad speculator named George Cochran purchased the area that has become Mitchell. Ormsby McKnight Mitchell, a local surveyor, created the original plat for the town between what today are Fifth, Seventh, Vine, and Oak. The land was originally purchased because the O&M Railroad was being built and would be passing through the area. Mitchell owes its existence to the railroad, and the towns first businesses focused on the railroad. Mitchell was incorporated as a town in 1864 with 822 residents; in 1907, it became a city. Mitchell's first mill opened in 1902. Shortly thereafter, the Lehigh Portland Cement factory began functioning as the city's first major industry. Body Works School Bus opened afterwards and became Mitchell's top employer. When Body Works School Bus closed in he 1990s, Lehigh became Mitchell's largest employer once again. Other major employers have included Dana Corp and Regal Beloit. Mitchell was founded due to the railroad and made its existence known because of industry. Just recently, Mitchell has become less dependent on industry, as currently a majority of local workers commute to other localities, primarily Bedford. Since SR 37 is a four lane divided highway, commuting is relatively simple, and Mitchell is becoming much more of a commuter city. With the pending expansion of I-69, commuting to even further locations, such as Evansville and Indianapolis, will become even easier. This may bring changes in commuting patterns and commercial development. For future development, there are several opportunities for the City of Mitchell. Due to the presence of Spring Mill State Park, located just outside the city, as well as many other local attractions, the tourism support industry could develop into a new force to drive the local economy. Also, the surrounding area has large amounts of high quality timber, and the lumber and wood products industry could develop into a much larger industry in Mitchell. Community DemographicsPopulation Distribution by AgeAccording to US Census data, there are significantly more females than males in several key age cohorts, specifically those between the ages of 20 to 24. Two possible explanations could be a higher percentage of male students leaving for college or leaving Mitchell to expand their employment opportunities. If the latter is correct, strategies to help Mitchell's young workers staying and working in Mitchell could be particularly important. Household IncomesIncomes in the City of Mitchell vary, but the majority of households are below $60,000 per year. Just over 15%% of Mitchell's households earn less than $10,000 per year, while less than 5% of households earn more than $125,000 per year. This could indicate a need for more high-quality, high-paying jobs in Mitchell. Household SizeThe average household size in Mitchell is 2.36 persons per household, which is slightly lower than the United States average of 2.59 persons per household. This is fairly common for regions with low populations. Generally, as population decreases, household size also decreases. Educational AttainmentThe educational attainment of Mitchell is primarily focused on obtaining a high school diploma. Although the percentage of individuals with a high school diploma or some college education is higher than the national or state average, the city is also higher than the national average for those residents without a high school diploma. The number of residents with higher education degrees is below the national, state, and count averages. These numbers could represent further evidence of students leaving Mitchell after graduation. Based on education levels, Mitchell is not well suited to a high-tech industry base; however a manufacturing base would be appropriate. Travel Time to WorkMost citizens in Mitchell spend significantly less time traveling to work than most residents of the United States, Indiana, or Lawrence County. This is especially evident in the number of commuters who travel less than fifteen minutes to get to work. In Mitchell, more than 40% of residents fall into this category, which is twelve percent more people than the national average and six percent more than the state average. Fewer than 15% of residents spend more than thirty minutes traveling to work. This data suggests that Mitchell residents are working primarily either in the Mitchell area, or in the nearby community of Bedford. Walking to WorkMitchell prides itself on quality of life issues such as its designation as a Tree City. One way to further enhance Mitchell's quality of of life is through increased walkability. According to U.S. Census data, fewer workers walk to work in Mitchell than the national or state averages. By increasing walkability, Mitchell could help increase the number of citizens walking to work. Some ways to do this would include enhancing sidewalks and trails as well as increasing opportuinites to work in downtown Mitchell. Mode of TransportationIn Mitchell, the percentage of residents driving to work is higher than the state and national average. When taken in context with travel times to work, this could show more evidence that nearby towns and cities, such as Bedford, are providing the majority of work opportunities for the community. Top Employment SectorsManufacturing is currently the single largest employment sector in Lawrence County. The three next largest include Retail trade, government, and health care industries. Future economic development efforts could take advantage of this by focusing on manufacturing and retail, as many local residents are already trained and employed in these fields. Military ServiceDespite a lower percentage of residents currently enlisted in the Armed Forces, Mitchell is above the national, state, and county averages for the percentage of veterans in the local population. This data could prove to be important to local government officials as they consider plans for the potential Mitchell Grove of Honor. Nursing Home OccupancyCaring for the elderly in a community is always in important task. Mitchell has a greater percentage of its population in nursing homes than the national, state, and county averages. The available space for the continued care of nursing home residents must be considered as the city continues to grow. Work-Related CommutingThe low number of available jobs in Mitchell is an important issue for the city. According to tax returns in 2002, it was determined that 6,500 workers, or 21.7% of the resident labor force, commute out of Lawrence County. Only 2,400 workers, 9% of people who work in Lawrence County, are commuting into the county. The top five counties commuting into Lawrence County are Greene, Jackson, Martin, Monroe, and Orange Counties. 38% of those commuters come from Orange County, and another 36% come from Monroe County. The top five counties receiving workers from Lawrence County include Jackson, Marion, Martin, Monroe, and Orange Counties. 62% of residents leaving Lawrence County commute to Monroe County, with another 18% going to Martin. Traffic CountsAccording to a traffic count study conducted by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), there is a large amount of daily traffic passing by Mitchell on SR 37 and SR 60. The largest amount of traffic in this area occurs along SR 37 near the SR 60 junction, where there is an average of 15,000 automobiles per day. The majority of the traffic travels along the northern portion of SR 37, with many travelers branching off onto SR 60. South of Mitchell, approximately 2/3 of traffic is along SR 37, and 1/3 is along SR 60. This high traffic volume supports the possibility of tourism oriented development as a viable option for the City of Mitchell. ResourcesSouthern Indiana has a variety of natural resources, including an abundance of high-quality hardwood tree forests. By further incorporating this type of industry into Mitchell's economic base, the community could take advantage of nearby resources and increase the number of jobs. There are currently twelve sawmills within twenty-five miles of Mitchell. They include:
Community Meetings SummaryThe Mitchell Vision Plan Committee from Ball State University came to Mitchell on September 27 and 28. During this visit, meetings were held on both days with some of the local officials and residents. The main objective of the meetings was to find out what residents liked about their community, how they would like to see it change, and the opportunities they could see for the future, among other topics. There were many brainstorming topics including economic development, problems in Mitchell, where to take friends and family members, dreams for Mitchell, and youth activities. In addition, residents were asked to fill out surveys concerning community services available to them and a visual preference survey. The most important issues from the Mitchell meetings are listed below, the full results of these meetings can be found in Appendix I. Main Concerns
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