BOW Approves Six Road Closure Requests For Utility Work And Public Events
BOW Approves Six Road Closure Requests For Utility Work And Public Events
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David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
BOW Approves Six Road Closure Requests For Utility Work And Public EventsFive road closure requests for public events and a sixth for private utility work were brought before the Warsaw Board of Public Works and Safety Friday and approved.
Chase Meeks, representing G & G Hauling & Excavating Inc., made the request to close Zimmer Road from the intersection of Crystal Lake Road/Winona Avenue/Ind. 25 to the intersection of Zimmer Lane from 8 a.m. May 16 to 4 p.m. May 20 for utility work.
“The project is a storm sewer infrastructure improvement for Zimmer Biomet building 5. That is the building there at the corner of Zimmer Lane and Zimmer Road, between Hepler and Zimmer Road. We would be crossing just south of the intersection there at Zimmer Lane and Zimmer Road. We’ll be crossing just south of there. The road closure is Zimmer Road, and doing a detour/re-route for that duration,” Meeks stated.
The best case scenario, he said, is that the work will be completed and road patched by May 19. Worst-case scenario is May 20.
Meeks said they looked at leaving one lane open at a time, but they couldn’t see how they feasibly could make that happen because “we’re threading the needle between a 6-inch high-pressure gas main ... going down through there. I’m taking a 36-inch pipe and then gauging it down to four 12-inch pipes. And to do that crossing and do one lane at a time would just take longer and I’m not sure we could make it happen.”
Mayor Joe Thallemer said he was sure the public would understand the difficulty of that project.
City engineer Aaron Ott said he’s already had discussions with them on the proposal for the work and the detour route that is necessary because of the traffic that the road sees.
“I believe that they are doing the best that they can do at keeping the duration as reasonable as possible,” Ott said.
He said Public Works Superintendent Dustin Dillon and the emergency services departments have investigated the detour route and it’s good.
Jeff Grose, Common Councilman and Board of Works member, asked if the work was going to be done rain or shine. Meeks said that was correct because the existing infrastructure was staying in place until the new infrastructure goes in.
The Board of Works approved the road closure.
Dan Hampton, on behalf of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, requested Smith Street, from Maple Avenue to Grant Street, be closed from 2 to 6 p.m. June 19 for parking and dismissal if needed at the Kosciusko County Fairgrounds for the Eucharistic Procession. The event time start and stop are 3 and 5 p.m.
He said they were closing off that area to help the shuttles running the Eucharistic Procession participants from the fairgrounds to Sacred Heart. The request was approved.
Hampton said, “(We) really appreciate all the help the city is giving us. It’s been unbelieveable.”
Matt Boren, executive director of Cardinal Services, requested Colfax Street between Smith Street and the end of the Cardinal Services drive be closed from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 17 for a groundbreaking celebration, with the event scheduled for noon to 1 p.m.
“So we are excited to be able to announce our groundbreaking event for our capital campaign and renovations at the main campus there at 504 N. Bay Drive, and so to do that we’re having sort of a little event,” he said.
The request was approved. Boren said the community was invited and there will be food trucks and celebrations.
Mark Vanlaningham, Kosciusko County Farmers and Artisans Market, sought permission to close Center Street between Lake and Buffalo streets every Saturday from May 7 to October from 6:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with the Farmers Market open from 8 a.m. to noon. The Warsaw City Hall Plaza also will be used for the market.
Vanlaningham said the Farmers Market will open and close an hour earlier than last year. “There’s less traffic, I think, during that period of time, so we thought that would work out better for us and for you guys,” he said.
After the Board approved the request, Vanlaningham thanked the Board and the city for everything they’ve done to help the Farmers Market continue and succeed.
“I really, really appreciate that. I appreciate the road closure, but also just working with you guys. Sometimes when you work with government it doesn’t always go so smooth, but you guys have been great to work with and so encouraging,” Vanlaningham said. “Also, your staff that you have, every time that I come up here, I’m kind of fumbling around and not knowing quite what I’m supposed to be doing, they’ve been very helpful and very patient with me, and so I would just like to say thanks to all of them.”
Greg Steffe, Kosciusko County Old Jail Museum director, presented two requests to the Board of Works.
The first was to close Indiana Street between East Center and East Main streets from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 10 for the Dillinger Raid IV. The event is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is open to the public. There will be antique cars parked along Indiana Street.
Steffe said the format of the Dillinger Raid will be similar to the 2021 event.
“Turns out this year, our event is going to be held in conjunction with an event held by Coldwell Banker Realtors. Sally Bailey and her group are going to be promoting an event on the same day in her parking lot directly across. So we’re kind of working together on that, and it looks like it’s going to come together very nicely,” Steffe said.
After the Board approved that request, Steffe presented a request to close the same section of Indiana Street from 2 to 9 p.m. June 3 for the Warsaw Speedway Oldtimers Reunion and Vintage Racecar Show. The event is 5 to 9 p.m. and in conjunction with First Friday.
“This year’s featured exhibit at the Old Jail Museum is ‘Remembering the Warsaw Speedway.’ We have a very extensive exhibit. We’re doing this event in conjunction with that to help promote not only that exhibit but also to promote the museum and bring people in,” Steffe said.
He said they anticipate bringing in 200 to 300 people with the event and will be doing a vintage race car show with it.
