Editor, Times-Union: In Friday’s Times-Union, it was announced that Country Club Road will be closed between Sept. 14 and Nov. 25. Sounds fairly mundane, happens all the time ... right? Not necessarily. Until that sign went up, no one on the west and south side of Winona Lake, an area that encompasses hundreds of residences, had even a hint of this closing. The orange construction sign appeared last week, coldly stating, “Country Club Road Closed Sept. 8.” Most who read the sign said, oh, OK, for one day, right? Upon my asking a few questions of elected officials last week, nothing could be further from the truth. It’s a two-month closure of the Walnut Creek bridge, next to the outflow structure from Winona Lake. This sign was the only mention of that from the county. No advance notice, no public hearing, no written notice to homeowners in the area. I find that unconscionable, given that this affects several thousand people who use this route daily to and from work and school. The detour now takes everyone to the only other option, 200 South, then over to 15. For many, this an additional six miles each way in their commute. This detour also affects city and county services to the affected neighborhoods – fire, EMS and police response time, school bus rerouting, doctor appointments, school and after-school functions, the USPS and other delivery services. Not to mention the trains. The additional individual fuel costs should also be mentioned. The 200S and Ind. 15 intersection is going to be a nightmare, as will be 15 at Prairie and Winona Avenue. Not much thought, or empathy, by our officials went into this decision. If there had been public hearings, or even written notice, maybe a compromise could have been reached. Possibly one lane at a time, or other options, may have been discussed. I strongly feel that this project should be put on hold until the affected neighborhoods are given an opportunity to voice their ideas and concerns. Obviously, this is late in the game, but the reason for that is because the public was not informed of what was about to happen; including the impact on their daily routine and schedule. It is high handed and capricious in nature, and I'm very disappointed in the manner in which our elected county officials have allowed something like this to occur. I have reached out to them, but as of today, have not received one reply. I am fatigued with the transparency word, but this is opaque! I encourage all those who live west and south of Winona Lake, to let their elected officials know what a transgression this is, with no due process, for the citizens of our community! Steve Anderson Warsaw, via email
Editor’s Note: The Times-Union reported on the bridge project and closure as part of a county commissioners story in June.
