Warsaw Looks To Future With Master Plan

Defining Warsaw's goals for future expansion - and how the city will get where it wants to go - began Monday at the first public meeting for the city's master plan.

Led by Cole Associates, consultants for the project, the meeting's purpose was mostly to gather information on issues that would affect the city's development and expansion.

"We're looking at planning as a natural process that communities do as they evolve," said project manager Pete Fritz of Cole Associates.

Issues that should be considered when planning future expansion include population trends and forecasts, traffic patterns, sewer capacity and availability, coordination between city and county plans, and regulations and natural resources.

For example, Fritz said, the Center Street corridor could become a successful mix of residential zoning and offices in converted residential buildings. However, planning for that kind of development would depend on how the city handled increased traffic, additional cuts for entrances to businesses and landscaping.

Commercial development along U.S. 30 may require frontage roads, but also will have to consider requirements and limitations from the Indiana Department of Transportation, Fritz said.

City planner Pat Hudson invited public comment on other problem areas, such as North Detroit Street, which has some industrial zoning.

"It's one of the first north-south greetings as you come into Warsaw, and we haven't heard from the community" about trends or preferences, he said.

Fritz said the next public meeting will look at proposed land use plans and transportation plans, and will probably be held around the first week in May. Another public meeting will be in mid-June, and the final master plan is expected to be completed in early to mid-August. All meetings will take place in city council chambers.