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For about a month beginning in December, the sidewalk on the west side of North Buffalo Street in front of the Z Hotel, along with one curbside parking stall, will be closed for work on the hotel’s canopy and facade.
Warsaw Public Works Director Dustin Dillon presented the Board of Public Works and Safety on Wednesday a road closure request from Robinson Construction on behalf of Zimmer Biomet for the closure of the sidewalk and stall. The closure will be from Dec. 1 to Jan. 2.
“This request is needed to ensure the safety for all as the canopy for the Z Hotel and the facade is being restored on the building. We met with Zimmer officials, Robinson Construction team; David from Zimmer and Jay Walker from Robinson is actually here as well. We are all in agreement that this is the ideal path to pursue. This construction zone will be solely in front of the Z Hotel, still allowing pedestrian traffic to flow along Main Street,” Dillon said in recommending the five-week sidewalk and parking stall closure request be approved.
In talking with Walker earlier, Dillon said there is some masonry work to be done, similar to the Lake City Bank building work on Center Street. With the weather conditions, if it does get too cold, some of that work will have to transition to the spring. Any updates will be presented to the Board of Works.
Councilwoman Diane Quance made the motion to approve the closure, Mayor Jeff Grose seconded it and it passed 2-0. Board member George Clemens was absent.
Dillon then presented the Board with a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the city and the Kosciusko County Highway Department (KCHD) for snow removal and road maintenance.
Under the MOU, the city will provide snow, ice and pothole patching for the KCHD for Sharon, Nye, Lake streets; Cambridge, Hepler, Cheyenne, Mohawk, Teepee Pontiac drives; Zimmer Road (Zimmer Lane to Old 30 West); County Roads 150 West (Fox Farm Road to U.S. 30), 250 North (Boeing Road to the city limits) 175 East (Center Street to Prosperity Drive), Superior Avenue and Center Street Extended to CR 175E.
The KCHD will provide snow, ice and pothole patching for the city for CR 200W (U.S. 30 to CR 300N), CR 350N (Ind. 15 to the end of the corporate city limits), Airport Road, CR 300N (Airport Road to CR 100E), CR 100E (300N to the end of the corporate city limits), Corridor Drive, CR 250E (U.S. 30 to corporate city limits), Circle Drive, CR 75N (175E to CR 225N), CR 200S (County Farm Road to Dwight Drive) and Country Club Road (Country Club Drive South to the corporate city limits).
“This is just more locality and working together. There’s certain things that just make sense on pathways, annexations and different things that have happened,” Dillon said.
The MOU runs through 2028 and was approved by the board. Dillon said they’ve done the MOU in the past with the KCHD.
Dillon’s last item for the board was payment application no. 3, the final one, from Phend & Brown for $51,573.64 for the reconstruction of Airport Road and the milling and paving of Provident Drive, CR 150W, Old 30E and Zimmer Road. Dillon said all the work has been completed, inspected and certified. The Board approved the payment.
Street Superintendent Joe Vetor requested and received permission to purchase a 2026 Ford F-600 bucket truck for $174,282.64 from the National Auto Fleet Group through Sourcewell. The truck will replace the 2006 International bucket truck the department currently has for day-to-day use. The 2006 International bucket truck will be transitioned for utility needs as they arise.
On behalf of the stormwater and wastewater department, city engineer Aaron Ott presented pay application no. 2 for $121,039.08 from G & G Hauling & Excavating Inc. for the Prairie and Lake streets stormwater improvements.
After the Board approved it, Quance asked when that project will be finished.
“For all intents and purposes of what we’re going to see, it’s finished. We do have to line some pipes within the limits still, so we’re working through some questions with the pipe lining subcontractor to G & G to get that work done so we can completely call it done,” Ott said. “But, all surface work has been done, all the patching’s been done. And for all intents and purposes, it’s been a successful project, other than we had to disturb the neighborhood a little longer than we hoped to, but we worked through that.”
