By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw
WARSAW — Warsaw Mayor Jeff Grose and City Planner Justin Taylor recently offered insights into several issues, including the upcoming repair to two railroad crossings, a new downtown parking policy, and a long-term idea of an overpass along US 30 over Parker Street.
Parking policy
The City of Warsaw’s downtown parking policy is still being implemented and retains free parking for the first two hours. The biggest change is the option to use a parking app if you want to stay longer than 2 hours.
The goal is to free up more parking in front of downtown storefronts.
Another step in that effort involves setting aside parts of two parking lots specifically for downtown employees.
One of the lots is on Indiana Street and another on Jefferson Street.
Taylor says those parking spaces will be free for now.
He said they began allocating spaces this week to downtown merchants for their employees
“We have about 125 spaces that are going to be dedicated for downtown business employees, and we’re going to try to allocate those across the board this year.
Taylor said the reaction has been good.
Since being introduced a few weeks ago, parking patrols have issued over 115 warnings for on-street parking.
“We know people are getting the message of the change, and we just want to make sure everybody understands what they can do and what they can’t do with the new system,” Taylor said.
Taylor and Grose talked with News Now Warsaw this week for In The Know, the public affairs show that airs this weekend.
Grose reiterated that the new apps aren’t necessary if you’re staying for less than two hours.
“You can park downtown like I’ve done since I was a little boy,” Grose said. “You can park downtown for two hours free, doing nothing with your phone (or) nothing with a kiosk. Nothing. And that’s the same as it’s always been.”
Officials plan to review the policy after about a year.
Grose explains RR crossing upgrade plan
Grose also discussed a new agreement with Norfolk Southern to accelerate some local railroad crossing projects. He recently announced plans to improve railroad crossings on Winona Avenue and Market Street later this year.
One thing that’s different with these updates is that Warsaw is following suit with other cities that have agreed to provide financial support for the projects.
The city plans to provide more than $300,000 for the work.
“We really believe those two intersections — it has to be tried — we have to do it, as we serve the residents of this community, those that live in our jurisdiction, and the thousands that are coming in each and every day,” Grose said.
He said the city held multiple meetings with Norfolk Southern to work out an agreement.
No exact date for the work has been announced.
“We are hoping by the end of the year, so late summer, fall, and we’ll do the best we can,” Grose said.
“My number one goal is to make sure they’re on the calendar … and then we’ll deal with that locally for the short time. Usually it’s a week or two, a couple of weeks,” he said.
US 30 overpass over Parker Street
Grose also acknowledged efforts by two state lawmakers — State Sen. Ryan Mishler and State Rep. Craig Snow — for their proposal to construct an overpass along US 30 over Parker Street, as well as an interchange at Springhill Road and the highway further to the west.
The proposal has been shared with the Indiana Department of Transportation, but no action has been taken.
It would be part of the long-range plan to reconstruct all of US 30 across Indiana, which has been studied for nearly ten years and would take decades to construct.
The Warsaw proposal is similar to one in Whitley County, which is moving forward with financial support from some local industry.
“The problem for us will be: How do we get private investment … to look our direction, and then our ability as a public institution, to come up with your tax dollars to spend them wisely to encourage the federal and state government to look in our direction,” Grose said.
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In The Know can be heard at the following times:
News Now Warsaw (99.7 FM and 1480 AM):
Saturdays at 7 a.m.
Sundays at 7 a.m. & 2 p.m.
WRSW (107.3):
Sundays at 6 a.m.
Willie (103.5 FM):
Sundays at 6 a.m.
