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Additional sidewalk along Indianapolis Road eyed
With a goal of “continuous walkability” along Indianapolis Road, city officials are pondering the extension of the sidewalk along the north side of the street.
The sidewalk along Indianapolis Road currently ends at Greenwood Drive, the short street that runs along the east side of Auto Zone.
Mayor Bill Dory Wednesday evening asked the Redevelopment Commission to consider the future funding of a sidewalk project to close the sidewalk gap along Indianapolis Road.
“It all depends on how much right of way we have out there,” Dory told the Banner Graphic. “We may have the opportunity, although nobody has put a rule to it yet, to extend the sidewalk to Longcastle Drive.”
The Redevelopment Commission was not asked to take any action on the suggestion as Dory had no engineering costs available at this point in the process.
Councilman Dave Murray, in the audience for the brief RDC session at City Hall, asked the mayor if there was “any ball park number on the cost.”
“We haven’t done the engineering yet,” Dory replied. “It may not even be feasible. Let me get some engineering costs and bring it forward.”
RDC members, including Gary Lemon, voiced support for the sidewalk extension project.
“If it’s 35 cents, let’s do it,” Lemon said, putting it in financial perspective. “If it’s $35 million, let’s not.”
Hopefully, “it’s somewhere in between,” RDC Chairman Erika Gilmore deadpanned.
To accommodate the sidewalk addition, the project would have to narrow the section of roadway on Indianapolis Road, particularly the area in front of Wendy’s and the old Long John Silver’s that’s in the process of becoming a Japanese steak house. The center lane through that portion of Indianapolis Road is wider than necessary, it was agreed.
“We’re not guaranteeing anything gets done this summer,” Dory said, explaining that the sidewalk project might be undertaken all in one year or split over two.
If the sidewalk work comes to fruition, it would provide “continuous walkability” along at least one side (the north side) of Indianapolis Road, the mayor added.
Noting the gaps in Indianapolis Road sidewalks, Dory said it is currently possible to walk on sidewalks from Longcastle Drive (east of the Marathon station property) to the American Legion Post. Walkers can also now use a sidewalk from Kroger to Auto Zone.
The area involved “is one of many places around town that need attention,” the mayor said, noting that people can still walk along a portion of the area, going through parking lots and all along the Speedway station and the old Marsh store, but “it certainly doesn’t meet ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements by any means.”
In another project, the RDC approved an additional $12,536 in engineering services for ASA Land Surveying on the Zinc Mill Road project that will widen the roadway from State Road 240 to South Street.
Mayor Dory explained that the plans have been revised for the sidewalk offsets in some locations, increasing the grade work along the Wood Edge Subdivision on the east side of the road.
The project will widen the two travel lanes, adding curb and gutter and include storm sewer improvements. A sidewalk will be added along the west side of the road with a section of People Pathways along the east side.
“The road will be a little wider than it is now,” Dory said, “although not by much.”
In other business, the Redevelopment Commission:
-- Approved a $948 annual fee for continuation of the WiFi Bubble in downtown Greencastle.
“People are still using it,” Dory assured, “let’s give it one more year.”
The number of users has tumbled to fewer than 200 in each of the last two quarters of 2019, while topping 500 in mid-year 2018. Just 127 users were identified in the last quarter of 2019.
Lemon noted that while he “hasn’t done a scientific study,” the WiFi bubble has not been one of the options that he gets when he is searching for WiFi downtown.
It depends on where you are downtown, Dory said.
On the north side of the square, a number of businesses have WiFi available and those options pop up first. Meanwhile, WiFi users have reported that they either can’t access it at the courthouse or have difficulty doing so.
-- Heard Dory report that the Calbert Way extension project will go out for bids soon. The extension to the south will open up property adjacent to Walmart for development, the mayor said, noting “we’ve got a buyer for 20 acres out there.”
-- Heard the mayor report that he had “a really good meeting with INDOT” (Indiana Department of Transportation) recently concerning the proposed “major overhaul” of U.S. 231 from the railroad tracks on the north side of the city to the courthouse square and down to Bloomington Street in 2021 or 2022. “That continues to move forward,” he said, noting that it “will be a big project in the community but will have long, long-term impact.” It was at the November RDC meeting that Mayor Dory reported that INDOT has agreed to help the city with the waterline work involved in the estimated $1.96 million project. The state is asking the community to commit 10 percent of the project cost, Dory said.
-- Heard Dory report that a proposed lease between the city and Wabash Valley YMCA for the new community center in Greencastle is “very, very close” to being ready for implementation. He said copies of the latest version of the lease are being sent to City Council and RDC members for their review.
Joining Mayor Dory, City Attorney Laurie Hardwick, Gilmore and Lemon for the 25-minute meeting were RDC members Drew Brattain and Lottie Barcus, along with ex-officio member Brian Cox from the Greencastle School Board. RDC member Gwen Morris was absent.
The next meeting of the Greencastle Redevelopment Commission is set for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26 at City Hall.