Project pipeline running full for Greencastle

Friday, August 25, 2017
The four-way stop at Zinc Mill Road and State Road 240 is scheduled for the installation of a stoplight in the spring, Mayor Bill Dory told the Greencastle Redevelopment Commision on Wednesday. The mayor added that a roundabout was considered, but INDOT opted for a light.
Banner Graphic/ERIC BERNSEE

From land appraisals to survey work to a running tally of projects in the pipeline, some busy construction years loom within the City of Greencastle.

That point was driven home to the Greencastle Redevelopment Commission at its August meeting by Mayor Bill Dory.

In fact, so much activity is planned or proposed over the next few years that a separate planning meeting was suggested to ponder city projects “under way or in the pipeline,” the mayor said.

Those include property appraisals for a yet-to-be-determined site for the proposed community center/YMCA, updated appraisals on the five development lots remaining along the east side of Ballard Drive at the Putnam County Airport and an appraisal of the vacant lot at the northeast corner of North Indiana and Columbia streets, owned by Perry Wainman. Each appraisal was listed as an estimated $3,000 expense.

The Wainman property, where a badly dilapidated old house was demolished in August 2013, has been serving as a staging area for downtown construction crews recently. However, city officials would like to explore the idea of creating additional downtown parking there since the site is directly across the street from another city lot.

“Perry is willing to work with us,” Mayor Dory said, indicating Wainman has given the go-ahead to get the property appraised.

The Ballard Lane lots, meanwhile, have not been reappraised in 15-20 years, Dory said, noting that an updated value is needed in order to provide an accurate asking price for the business properties if and when one is sought by an incoming entity.

Meanwhile, surveying and title search work for both the planned Indianapolis Road and Zinc Mill Road improvement projects were also unanimously approved by the Redevelopment Commission. Indianapolis Road is listed as a $64,500 expense, while Zinc Mill Road was noted as a $55,000 expense for survey and title work.

The Indianapolis Road project, for which the city has applied for a Community Crossings grant, is expected to be first up, on the schedule for 2018.

“We should hear back anytime about getting the Community Crossings grant,” Mayor Dory said, noting that 95 percent of such grant requests were funded in the first year of the state program.

Some right-of-way acquisition is expected on the project that runs from in front of Kroger to Percy Julian Drive (the stoplight at McDonald’s).

“We’ve done some survey work,” the mayor said. “We need to continue and do a title search to see if INDOT actually acquired right-of-way when that was the state highway (State Road 240).”

The Zinc Mill Road project, meanwhile, is listed as a 2022 priority for state funding, however by getting surveying and topographic work out of the way, the mayor thinks it could get an earlier start.

“If we get it shovel ready,” he suggested, “it could get moved up. No promises from INDOT though.”

Meanwhile, INDOT officials have said, according to the mayor, that the proposed stoplight at Zinc Mill Road and State Road 240 near Greencastle Middle School is on schedule for this spring.

While replacing the four-way stopsign at the wide intersection with a stoplight has been well received locally, utilizing a roundabout instead was at least talked about, Mayor Dory confided.

“There was legitimate discussion,” he told the commission after at least one member thought he was joking.

How serious the state might have been was probably tempered by the cost, however. Mayor Dory said a roundabout can cost six times that of a stoplight because of all the right-of-way acquisition and pavement work necessary.

The volume of truck traffic on State Road 240 was likely also a consideration for sticking with a stoplight.

Moving to the list of projects in the pipeline, Dory pointed out that South Street is nearing completion with about $20,000-$30,000 worth of work yet to be done within the next few weeks.

Other projects in the city pipeline and their current status include:

-- Market Street improvements: Received Community Crossings grant, 2017 completion seen.

-- North Jackson Street parking lot: Design work under way. Possible 2017 completion.

-- South Jackson Street: Received Community Crossings grant. Frontier to move its utility lines by Sept. 1. Completion seen 2018.

-- Wayfinding Signage Program: Consultant selected to develop plan. Installation of new signage likely in 2018.

-- Stellar Grant Campus Trail Link: INDOT bid letting January 2018. Completion expected 2018.

-- Indianapolis Road: Applied for Community Crossings grant. Design work under way. Completion seen 2018.

-- Big Walnut Sports Park parking lots: Design work under way. Completion expected 2018.

-- Community Center: Design work under way. Appraisals of site approved. Completion due 2019.

-- Zinc Mill Road: INDOT funding obtained. Survey work approved. Completion seen 2022.

“As you can see, we have a good number of projects in the pipeline,” Mayor Dory summarized, suggesting the commission sit down at its October meeting (Oct. 25) and examine the list to determine if it wants any of the projects to be dropped out.

The Greencastle Redevelopment Commission will next meet at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 27 at City Hall.

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  • If you want to be so much like Hendricks county with the roundabouts, and everything else, then why don't you just move there.

    -- Posted by canttakeitanymore on Sat, Aug 26, 2017, at 9:11 PM
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