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Members of Warsaw's Redevelopment Commission met Monday to sign a claim for improvements on Ind. 15N, an area many now refer to as the "northern corridor."
A contract for seeding along the thoroughfare was unanimously approved, and additional improvements such as retention and deceleration lanes will be discussed in the near future, City Planner Jeremy Skinner said.
A deceleration lane is anticipated to be installed at the intersection adjacent to Da-Lite Screen, following the company's concerns of employee safety on Ind. 15N. While Skinner said traffic volume could be high in the area at certain times, there are currently a limited amount of hazardous conditions that could make the road extremely dangerous for drivers.
"Most importantly, there's no vision issues," Skinner said. "The area is very flat, and drivers can see well on both sides of the intersection. While traffic can be high, other hazardous conditions are lacking."
Within the last 12 months, the city applied for an additional stoplight along Ind. 15N through the Indiana Department of Transportation, but failed to meet requirements. Skinner said a reevaluation of the area could be performed by INDOT in the next two years.
"What could help us is if something big, in terms of development, were to occur" along Ind. 15N, Skinner said. "If we were to get another big store, INDOT could definitely reconsider our request."
While the stoplight plans have been hindered, the additional improvements to Ind. 15 are expected by commission members.
"As a city, we have obligations to help a good neighbor (Da-Lite) with their potential expansion," council representative Charlie Smith said. "They have genuine concerns with safety, and we need to address that."
In other issues, members discussed the need to redevelop the old Gatke location near Dalton Foundries. The commission hoped to reach an agreement with a not-for-profit organization for a long-term lease of the property, and Skinner said members would contact economic development organizations for additional help with site improvements.
Commission members present were Smith, Tammy Rockey, Savina Kralis, Neal Carlson and Kyle Babcock.
The next meeting is June 5.
