Developer Wants County To Relocate CR 700S
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Accidents at the Claypool overpass, intersection of CR 700S and Ind. 15, are common due to bad visibility at the intersection.
Tuesday, Kosciusko County Highway Superintendent and Engineer Rob Ladson told the county commissioners the owner of property to the northeast of the intersection is planning to develop his property and wants the development to have access to Ind. 15. The developer wants to move CR 700S to the north, which will solve the visibility problem, Ladson said.
The developer has contacted the state for cooperation. Ladson drafted a letter for the commissioners to send to the state to support the developer's efforts.
"This is all preliminary," Ladson said. "It hasn't been through Area Plan yet. It's just been rezoned."
He said stoplights would not be ideal at the intersection because they would not keep traffic moving. Moving the intersection would improve visibility. "... We can definitely have a win-win situation here," said Ladson.
For several years, Ladson also reported, the county's had federal funds for road work in the area of CR 350W. He just recently discovered the money was there.
With the money, he said, the county could upgrade CR 350W, build a new road and bridge from Old 30 to Park Schramm Road over Tippecanoe River and put in a new road from Park Schramm Road to Crystal Lake Road, including an overpass for the railroad.
Ladson said the options are doing all the work in phases, doing some of the work or not taking any of the federal money and doing the work on CR 350W with local money.
If the county takes the federal money, they will get better roads, he said, but it will cost more. Also, if they go with the federal funding, the county may be able to receive additional money for the project from the Indiana Department of Commerce.
"Property owners will definitely have input," Ladson said, especially on the federal funding. "You will meet resistance. I can tell you that now."
County commissioner president Brad Jackson asked Ladson to gather more figures on the cost for the project done with local funds compared to federal funds.
Even if they could start today on the project, Ladson said, it will be at least two years before any work would begin.
In other business, the commissioners:
• Approved the plans and specifications to replace the bridge deck of a culvert in Syracuse near Dana Corp. and west of Ind. 13 on Railroad Avenue. No date for the work to begin is set but Ladson said he hopes to open bids by Dec. 19.
• Approved funds from user fees assessed from drug-related offenses to be used as the Kosciusko Coalition on Drug Education recommended. KCODE was formerly called the Local Coordinating Council for a Drug-Free Indiana.
The money is to be used for drug prevention, education and law enforcement. In each category, at least 25 percent of the money must be used.
The county council still must allocate the money.
However, of the $148,274.75 requested by various agencies for the money, $98,000 will be awarded.
For prevention and education, KCODE will award approximately $32,000. The largest amount, $12,000, will be given to the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department DARE program and $6,576 to the Warsaw Police Department DARE program.
For intervention and treatment, $24,500 will be awarded. All but $11,500 will be given to various Otis R. Bowen Center programs.
Not including $7,000 for the KCODE coordinator's salary, mileage and supplies, the remaining monies will go toward law enforcement and judicial expenses. The Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department will receive approximately $9,700 for computers, while the Warsaw Police Department will receive $9,687 for night vision, radar and patrol video equipment.
• Denied Michael Mantich's petition to rezone 1.3 acres from an agricultural district to an agricultural II district. The property is on the south side of CR 500S and 690 feet west of CR 525E in Monroe Township.
• Approved Quaker Haven's petition to vacate EMS D16B1 Lane, a platted right of way on EMS D16 Lane between EMS B and EMS C lanes, a portion between EMS D16B1 and EMS D16C lanes and an alleyway between EMS D16 B1 Lane to the northernmost property line.
A portion of EMS D16B1 Lane that was not vacated was renamed EMS D16A1 Lane.
• Decided to begin each commissioners meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance.
• Approved swearing-in ceremonies for county employees to be Jan. 2.
Kosciusko County commissioners are Brad Jackson, Avis Gunter and Eddie Creighton. [[In-content Ad]]
Accidents at the Claypool overpass, intersection of CR 700S and Ind. 15, are common due to bad visibility at the intersection.
Tuesday, Kosciusko County Highway Superintendent and Engineer Rob Ladson told the county commissioners the owner of property to the northeast of the intersection is planning to develop his property and wants the development to have access to Ind. 15. The developer wants to move CR 700S to the north, which will solve the visibility problem, Ladson said.
The developer has contacted the state for cooperation. Ladson drafted a letter for the commissioners to send to the state to support the developer's efforts.
"This is all preliminary," Ladson said. "It hasn't been through Area Plan yet. It's just been rezoned."
He said stoplights would not be ideal at the intersection because they would not keep traffic moving. Moving the intersection would improve visibility. "... We can definitely have a win-win situation here," said Ladson.
For several years, Ladson also reported, the county's had federal funds for road work in the area of CR 350W. He just recently discovered the money was there.
With the money, he said, the county could upgrade CR 350W, build a new road and bridge from Old 30 to Park Schramm Road over Tippecanoe River and put in a new road from Park Schramm Road to Crystal Lake Road, including an overpass for the railroad.
Ladson said the options are doing all the work in phases, doing some of the work or not taking any of the federal money and doing the work on CR 350W with local money.
If the county takes the federal money, they will get better roads, he said, but it will cost more. Also, if they go with the federal funding, the county may be able to receive additional money for the project from the Indiana Department of Commerce.
"Property owners will definitely have input," Ladson said, especially on the federal funding. "You will meet resistance. I can tell you that now."
County commissioner president Brad Jackson asked Ladson to gather more figures on the cost for the project done with local funds compared to federal funds.
Even if they could start today on the project, Ladson said, it will be at least two years before any work would begin.
In other business, the commissioners:
• Approved the plans and specifications to replace the bridge deck of a culvert in Syracuse near Dana Corp. and west of Ind. 13 on Railroad Avenue. No date for the work to begin is set but Ladson said he hopes to open bids by Dec. 19.
• Approved funds from user fees assessed from drug-related offenses to be used as the Kosciusko Coalition on Drug Education recommended. KCODE was formerly called the Local Coordinating Council for a Drug-Free Indiana.
The money is to be used for drug prevention, education and law enforcement. In each category, at least 25 percent of the money must be used.
The county council still must allocate the money.
However, of the $148,274.75 requested by various agencies for the money, $98,000 will be awarded.
For prevention and education, KCODE will award approximately $32,000. The largest amount, $12,000, will be given to the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department DARE program and $6,576 to the Warsaw Police Department DARE program.
For intervention and treatment, $24,500 will be awarded. All but $11,500 will be given to various Otis R. Bowen Center programs.
Not including $7,000 for the KCODE coordinator's salary, mileage and supplies, the remaining monies will go toward law enforcement and judicial expenses. The Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department will receive approximately $9,700 for computers, while the Warsaw Police Department will receive $9,687 for night vision, radar and patrol video equipment.
• Denied Michael Mantich's petition to rezone 1.3 acres from an agricultural district to an agricultural II district. The property is on the south side of CR 500S and 690 feet west of CR 525E in Monroe Township.
• Approved Quaker Haven's petition to vacate EMS D16B1 Lane, a platted right of way on EMS D16 Lane between EMS B and EMS C lanes, a portion between EMS D16B1 and EMS D16C lanes and an alleyway between EMS D16 B1 Lane to the northernmost property line.
A portion of EMS D16B1 Lane that was not vacated was renamed EMS D16A1 Lane.
• Decided to begin each commissioners meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance.
• Approved swearing-in ceremonies for county employees to be Jan. 2.
Kosciusko County commissioners are Brad Jackson, Avis Gunter and Eddie Creighton. [[In-content Ad]]