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For over an hour Monday, the Warsaw Plan Commission heard presentations on the city’s proposed strategic and comprehensive plans and the latest revised dumpster ordinance recommendation.
No action was taken on any of them, and the discussion on the dumpster ordinance was tabled due to the severe thunderstorm warning.
Assistant City Planner Leah Parker and Graduate Assistant Niger Sultana presented on the strategic and comprehensive plans.
“So, every community has competing needs, limited resources and countless opportunities. The challenge is simply not deciding what we can do, but determining what we should do and that is what I’ll be outlining in our proposed 2026 strategic plan today,” Parker said.
Explaining the difference between the plans and how they work together, she said the comprehensive plan is “a map showing where you’re going and the places you want to visit” and the strategic plan is the “itinerary of what you’ll be doing.”
Under the category of “Growth Management” in the strategic plan, Parker said, “Communities don’t become great by accident. They become great because they intentionally plan for the future. As Warsaw continues to grow, we have an opportunity to create a city where walking and biking are realistic options, where parking supports a thriving downtown and where families and young professionals choose to build their lives because there’s always something to do.”
Growth also means offering varying lot sizes and housing types that fit the different stages of life and budgets, while assuring the city’s zoning policies evolve alongside the community, she stated.
Under “Business Attraction and Retention,” Parker said a strong, local economy just doesn’t happen, but grows because a community creates the right environment for businesses to succeed.
“This means creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs and employers by exploring financial incentives, then encouraging investment in our city while making sure current and prospective businesses understand those incentives as well and know about the resources available to help them thrive,” Parker said. “It means investing in the infrastructure and land needed to support its continued growth, and it also means protecting the long-term future of our airport as a regional asset.”
Next was “Neighborhood Revitalization” with Parker saying, “Great neighborhoods are shaped by thoughtful choices that put people first, by creating more flexible housing options, investing in safer streets, better-lit streets.”
The fourth category was “Communication.” Parker said this was a big discussion during sessions with the Warsaw Common Council. “So by creating this communications and marketing role, we want to be able to better tell our story, keep departments aligned and share the work happening across the city and create a community where employees and residents feel informed, involved and connected to the future of where they live,” she said.
The last category was on downtown Warsaw.
“We all know a downtown is the heart of a community where businesses grow and residents gather. By investing in the appearance and accessibility of our downtown, by improving pedestrian and trail connections, and supporting new entrepreneurs through financial incentives, we create an environment where people want to spend time, where businesses want to invest and the community continues to grow,” Parker said. “These investments strengthen the downtown as a destination, preserve its character and ensure it remains a vibrant center of activity for future generations.”
After some questions from the Plan Commission members about greenways and housing, Sultana gave her presentation on the comprehensive plan, which she titled “The Warsaw Way 2045.”
She explained a comprehensive plan is “a long-term guide that captures the vision of what a community wants to be in the future. And typically it’s written with a 20-year outlook, but it’s supposed” to be reviewed every five to 10 years because communities evolve quickly.
The city of Warsaw’s past plans include the Downtown Warsaw 2030 Strategic Plan, The Downtown Warsaw Cultural Arts District Plan 2025, the city of Warsaw Parks and Recreation Master Plan 2022-27 and the 2015 Warsaw Comprehensive Plan. She said the 2015 Comprehensive Plan should have been reviewed in its 10th year, but the city’s already in the 12th year.
Areas she covered in her presentation included the newest housing and industry/economics. She reported in 2024, the city’s population was 16,768, and it experienced a steady population growth of a 25% increase from 2010.
Sultana discussed the changes in race and ethnicity of the city from 2010 to 2024, noting that the population that was white was 89% in 2010 and 78% in 2024. In 2010, only 2% were two or more races, which increased to 12% in 2024. In 2010, Hispanics were 9%, and that increased to 15% by 2024.
On housing affordability, her research showed in 2024, there was more rental-occupied housing (3,596) than owner-occupied housing (3,493). Vacant housing units accounted for 544. In 2010, those numbers were reversed, at 2,364 rentals; 3,495 owner-occupied; and 449, vacant.
Sultana also covered workforce numbers, population projections and future housing needs. She projected with a population of 23,644 in 2045 in Warsaw, housing needed totaled 10,747 and 12,075 acres of land would be required.
She also talked about the comprehensive planning process and how everyone should be involved in it.
Before the meeting was ended due to the storm warning, City Planner Justin Taylor introduced the changes in the dumpster ordinance, with Sultana going through it more in-depth. The ordinance establishes permit fees of $25 per obstructed parking space within the Commercial-4 Commercial District downtown and $15 per dumpster for locations outside the district. Permits are valid for 15 consecutive days, with up to two extensions available upon approval by the city. Fees are non-refundable.
The only petition heard by the Plan Commission on Monday was from Arturo Garcia for a preliminary and final plat to subdivide 4.46 acres at 2287 N. Detroit St. to create two lots.
Lot 1 is 3.56 acres and features an existing multi-tenant building, Taylor said. It includes a utility and ingress/egress easement along the southern boundary and it continues along the east side of lot 2.
Lot 2 is 1.09 acres and features an existing storage unit facility with three buildings. Access to the site and utilities will be provided through the easement.
The Planning Department recommended the approval of the preliminary and final plat for the subdivision since it does not include the addition of any additional public infrastructure, Taylor stated.
“The petitioner intends to hang on to the parcels, but I believe he is just doing this for insurance purposes,” Taylor said, which Garcia said was correct.
There were no remonstrators against the petition. The Plan Commission unanimously approved the preliminary and final plats.
