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By a vote of 2 to 1 today, the Kosciusko County Commissioners approved the Eli Lilly Road, Syracuse, vacation and relocation.
Northern district commissioner Brad Jackson initially made a motion to deny the petition, but it died for a lack of a second. Jackson said he can see the benefits of the relocation, but more people want the road to stay where it is than to see it move.
Ron Truex, middle district, made a motion to approve the petition; Avis Gunter, southern district, seconded the motion, and it was approved.
As part of the project, a portion of Eli Lilly Road, from the Tobias residence to Bishop Road, will be vacated and rebuilt north toward the former Wawasee Golf Course. A multi-use path will be built alongside the road.
In his comments, Truex said the commissioners represent the entire county - all 74,000 residents - and must do what's best for all. He, like the other commissioners, said he received many letters for and against the relocation and talked with numerous people. He said he's also looked at the project very closely.
Truex moved to approve the petition based on several considerations. Those considerations included the prior approval of the Area Plan Commission and county highway department, an understanding that the existing road would remain open until construction of the new road is complete and approval of the completed project by County Highway Superintendent and Engineer Rob Ladson.
Only a handful of remonstrators were at the meeting today.
Steve Lance, North Ogden Point Road, Syracuse, said the commissioners should consider who uses the road and most are against the relocation. Lou Dickerhoff, North Ogden Point Road, also said more people are against the petition than for it.
Sandra Green, North Ogden Point Road, presented the commissioners with more names of people against the petition. "If numbers count, this should prove it."
Speaking for the petitioners, Peter Nicholas and the Eli Lilly family, attorney Steve Snyder said there was no real new information to share. The request is statutory and it will benefit the county and community, he said. The only argument that applies to the petition is the argument that it may be inconvenient for some, but less than 200 feet is being added to the road, he said.
As for the scenery, he said, his 16-year-old daughter put it best when she asked why people are looking at the view when they should be paying attention to the road while driving.
"The benefits far outweigh the (time) added to the travel time," Snyder said.
Representing the opposition, attorney Dick Green stressed the point that more people were opposed to the petition than were in favor of it. He said he implored the commissioners to put aside the political and media pressure of the case and deny the vacation.
In rebuttal, Snyder said Green is trying to make the issue "sound like the south side of Chicago," with all the talk of political pressure. The statute allows the commissioners to vacate a road with conditions, including the condition of relocating the road.
