Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
A rough draft for Warsaw's "vision for growth" could include recommendations for frontage roads near busy thoroughfares, a trail system through the city for bicycle and pedestrian traffic, enhancement of unique environmental areas and options for future annexation.
Presented Tuesday evening, the overview was given in the last in a series of public meetings on Warsaw's master plan. Pete Fritz, project manager for Cole Associates Inc., the consultant for the master plan, outlined the proposed plan and fielded questions from the public.
The purpose of a master plan, said Pat Hudson, city planner for Warsaw, is to nail down a "vision for the community in terms of growth." The plan deals with changing needs and trends in the area and helps the community make an orderly and gradual transition to deal with those changes.
The final master plan, which is expected to be completed near the end of November, will not specify exact actions that the city should take. It will give recommendations and list goals and objectives the city government and residents should carefully consider.
For example, Fritz said, a great deal of industrial development is occurring on the west side of Warsaw, in and around Boggs Industrial Park, and that trend is expected to continue. However, without a second sewage treatment plant to handle additional industrial expansion, he said, further growth will be limited.
The plan also looks at "corridors" into the city, especially Ind. 15 and U.S. 30, and will give recommendations on improving traffic flow by adding frontage roads in congested areas. It also will touch on improving the town's image on these corridors through the use of consistent landscaping and screening.
On the southwest side of Warsaw, proposed connector roads between Ind. 25 and Ind. 15 caused some controversy as residents pointed out the presence of wetlands in the proposed construction area and the danger of poor drainage and flooding. Hudson emphasized that the proposed changes were merely theoretical and that any action would still be subject to public discussion and scrutiny.
Fritz said the master plan will likely recommend a citywide study of the efficiency of existing traffic signals and the possibility of re-timing signals to move traffic through town more efficiently.
Assistant city planner Jeff Noffsinger briefly discussed his work with a committee to develop a series of greenways that could safely be used for pedestrian and bicycle traffic. The proposed trails would include links with Winona Lake, the YMCA and the City-County Athletic Complex.
The final plan will be presented to the city council at a public meeting.
