Winona Resident Concerned About Pedestrian Traffic On CR 250E
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jennifer [email protected]
Tanna Wright, a Heritage Lake Park subdivision resident, who has lived at 2530 Liberty Drive for the past five years, started the petition May 9.
She has received 91 signatures as of Monday supporting a pathway or sidewalk along CR 250E.
The signatures also were collected from Lexington Manor Subdivision residents. She also hopes to attain signatures from Stonehenge residents.
She said she e-mailed and mailed town council members a letter stating her concerns with safety along the road. She also mailed the letter to Brent Wilcoxson, managing director for the Village at Winona, and May Winona Council primary winners Jim Lancaster and Terry Howie.
Wright plans to submit the petition to the council at their May 22 meeting at 7 a.m.
She said she is a stay-at-home mom who has seen as many as 100 cars travel along CR 250E in five minutes, posing a threat to walkers, joggers and bikers.
"I am not asking the council to redo the road plans, but consider a pathway now that the demographics of the road have changed in the past seven years to include a church and school," Wright said in a telephone interview Monday afternoon.
Wright said she approached the Winona Lake Town Council five years ago and voiced her concerns with the high volumes of traffic along the road and suggested a sidewalk or pathway be installed along CR 250E. She said the town council told her Winona Lake residents did not support a pathway along the road.
Wright said seven years ago when the designs for the new road were discussed and decided, the subdivisions surrounding CR 250E, Celebrations Church and Lakeland Christian Academy were in their beginning stages of development and growth, or not even existing.
Wright said since then, the road has become busy with cars, vans and sanitation trucks. She is concerned for the safety of students who walk to Lakeland Christian Academy and those who use the greenway.
Wright suggested if the sidewalk is put in while the CR 250E project is being constructed, the government could cover 80 percent of the sidewalk project.
Town Coordinator Craig Allebach said the town council held a meeting with Winona Lake residents in 2000 to discuss design plans for the CR 250E project.
"The town council supported a sidewalk in 2000, but there was an overwhelming response from residents who did not want a sidewalk," Allebach said.
Allebach said a second grant is being applied for the next stage of the greenway path that would eventually end at Lakeland Christian Academy.
Allebach said right of way would need to be determined and approved by effected residents if a sidewalk or walkway was installed along CR 250E. He said the council could possibly look into considering installing a pathway or sidewalk along the road after the CR 250E and greenway path projects are completed.
"We can't change the scope of the project at this point, it took us a year just to get right of way for the road," Allebach said.
"We don't want to continue to hold up a project that has taken seven years to begin."
Letting for the project begins Wednesday, bids will be awarded and the CR 250E project should begin within the next 60 days, Allebach said.
Town Council President Dave Delp said he looks forward to Wright addressing the town council with her concerns and petition.
"We want to talk to her about her concerns and want to hear from other residents who support those same concerns," Delp said.
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Tanna Wright, a Heritage Lake Park subdivision resident, who has lived at 2530 Liberty Drive for the past five years, started the petition May 9.
She has received 91 signatures as of Monday supporting a pathway or sidewalk along CR 250E.
The signatures also were collected from Lexington Manor Subdivision residents. She also hopes to attain signatures from Stonehenge residents.
She said she e-mailed and mailed town council members a letter stating her concerns with safety along the road. She also mailed the letter to Brent Wilcoxson, managing director for the Village at Winona, and May Winona Council primary winners Jim Lancaster and Terry Howie.
Wright plans to submit the petition to the council at their May 22 meeting at 7 a.m.
She said she is a stay-at-home mom who has seen as many as 100 cars travel along CR 250E in five minutes, posing a threat to walkers, joggers and bikers.
"I am not asking the council to redo the road plans, but consider a pathway now that the demographics of the road have changed in the past seven years to include a church and school," Wright said in a telephone interview Monday afternoon.
Wright said she approached the Winona Lake Town Council five years ago and voiced her concerns with the high volumes of traffic along the road and suggested a sidewalk or pathway be installed along CR 250E. She said the town council told her Winona Lake residents did not support a pathway along the road.
Wright said seven years ago when the designs for the new road were discussed and decided, the subdivisions surrounding CR 250E, Celebrations Church and Lakeland Christian Academy were in their beginning stages of development and growth, or not even existing.
Wright said since then, the road has become busy with cars, vans and sanitation trucks. She is concerned for the safety of students who walk to Lakeland Christian Academy and those who use the greenway.
Wright suggested if the sidewalk is put in while the CR 250E project is being constructed, the government could cover 80 percent of the sidewalk project.
Town Coordinator Craig Allebach said the town council held a meeting with Winona Lake residents in 2000 to discuss design plans for the CR 250E project.
"The town council supported a sidewalk in 2000, but there was an overwhelming response from residents who did not want a sidewalk," Allebach said.
Allebach said a second grant is being applied for the next stage of the greenway path that would eventually end at Lakeland Christian Academy.
Allebach said right of way would need to be determined and approved by effected residents if a sidewalk or walkway was installed along CR 250E. He said the council could possibly look into considering installing a pathway or sidewalk along the road after the CR 250E and greenway path projects are completed.
"We can't change the scope of the project at this point, it took us a year just to get right of way for the road," Allebach said.
"We don't want to continue to hold up a project that has taken seven years to begin."
Letting for the project begins Wednesday, bids will be awarded and the CR 250E project should begin within the next 60 days, Allebach said.
Town Council President Dave Delp said he looks forward to Wright addressing the town council with her concerns and petition.
"We want to talk to her about her concerns and want to hear from other residents who support those same concerns," Delp said.
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