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Bluffton Road Bridge Updates

Yesterday evening, Fort Wayne’s Public Works Division hosted a public meeting regarding the upcoming reconstruction of the Bluffton Road Bridge. At least a few dozen people attended, including several area neighborhood leaders, 5th District City Councilman Geoff Paddock, City staff, local media, and a team of experts from USI Consultants.

The slideshow from the presentation will be posted on the City of Fort Wayne website in the near future. In the meantime, below are some key highlights, takeaways, and photos from the meeting.

Bird’s eye view of the project area

TIMELINE
[all should be considered tentative and subject to change]
– Planning phases will continue from now through the fall of 2024, including a more formal public hearing, likely in the fall of 2022.
– Bidding is to be completed by December 2024.
– Construction is set to begin in late winter or early spring of 2025 and last through the spring of 2026.
– Construction process includes three phases: the first focuses on reconstructing the southern portion of the bridge’s superstructure, the second focuses on reconstructing the northern portion, and the final phase focuses on repairing the trail that runs underneath the bridge.

Close up view of western approach to the bridge

TRAFFIC DURING CONSTRUCTION
Because the reconstruction process is happening in multiple phases, at least half of the bridge should be available for vehicular traffic throughout most of the construction process. This will allow one lane of traffic in either direction over the bridge. Limited full closures will occur as needed to complete processes that cannot be done without fully closing the bridge to traffic. Rivergreenway traffic will also be slightly rerouted during construction.

Close up view of eastern side of bridge at Bluffton/Broadway intersection

KEY CHANGES TO THE BRIDGE
– The superstructure will be replaced. It was constructed in 1986 at a time when technology was changing, and not necessarily for the better. The new superstructure will have a life of 75 years.
– The substructure will be shored up in ways that will extend the life of the bridge.
– The four traffic lanes will be reduced in width from 12 to 11 feet as a way to calm traffic and allow for wider sidewalks.
– The north sidewalk on the bridge will be increased to 8 feet wide.
– The south sidewalk will be increased to 9 feet wide. Both sidewalks will be wide enough to accommodate two lines of pedestrians or cyclists comfortably.
– Both sidewalks will also include semi-circle bump outs above the piers, serving as places to stand out of the way of passing by cyclists or pedestrians or take a pause to admire the view. Seating options are being considered and could be incorporated if the public so desires.
– Decorative lighting will be added, similar to what was used in the redesigned Van Buren Street Bridge.
– Railings (again similar to those on the Van Buren Street Bridge) will be incorporated to allow for maximum visibility while keeping pedestrians protected from the outside edge and the vehicular traffic.
– Lighting will be incorporated underneath the bridge to illuminate the Rivergreenway trail.
– A suggestion was made to add center median tree plantings for 100-200 feet of the bridge’s western approach as a means to calm traffic and add to the aesthetics of the area.

BLUFFTON & BROADWAY INTERSECTION
The current setup of the Bluffton Road and Broadway intersection, featuring various pedestrian islands, will be scrapped in favor of a more traditional, simple design. Changes around this intersection will be designed to increase visibility and provide greater comfort and safety for drivers, walkers, and cyclists alike. The directions of lanes will also be adjusted to achieve similar goals.

SUMMARY
Overall, the plan that seems to incorporate common public sentiments and requests as much as possible, within the natural constraints of public infrastructure projects using federal funds. It seems to be an improvement over the existing bridge in all key measures.

Fall Block Party | October 17th

The Foster Park Neighborhood Association Social Committee is planning different ways to connect neighbors. This Cider & Donuts block party event is our first effort to bring neighbors together.

Festivities will take place on Kimmel Drive [the small connecting street on the east end of West Foster and Sheridan]. We hope to see you for this casual, free, family-friendly event!

  • Bring a lawn chair and/or picnic blanket and a reusable mug. Limited seating will be provided and disposable cups will be available if needed.
  • Apple cider (hot and cold), coffee, and donuts will be served, while supplies last.
  • We’ll have fires going to keep attendees warm and toasty.
  • If you are musically talented, we welcome you to play during the event. Contact the board if you are interested in helping in this way.
  • Feel free to stay for the whole time or just pop by for a bit.
  • This event will be cancelled if heavy rain is likely. Stay tuned to our Facebook page for any weather-related updates nearer the event date.
  • We will be collecting donations of non-perishable food items and hygiene products to stock some of the many free pantries available throughout Fort Wayne!

Speed Limit Reduced

Most areas of the Foster Park Neighborhood now have reduced speed limits following a recent traffic calming petition process undertaken by the board of directors. New signs were recently installed noting the 25mph (down from 30) speed limits on West Foster, Sheridan, and West Branning.

ABOVE | One of three recently installed signs noting the new speed limit.

Thanks to the many residents who previously signed traffic calming petitions as part of this process!

In order to complete the process and have Old Mill Road and West Lexington also reduced in speed, we are awaiting the required petitions from the Southwood Park Neighborhood, which shares those two streets with our neighborhood. We are hopeful that Southwood Park residents will support this effort to reduce speeds throughout our area.

The board will continue working with city partners to identify other ways to calm vehicular traffic in and around our area. Feel free to contact the board with any questions, comments, or concerns.

Solar Panels at The Summit

A few weeks ago, a public hearing notice was published regarding a special use request to allow for the installation of a ground-mounted solar array at the Summit. More specifically, this solar array would be located immediately south of the current athletic building [see map below of proposed location].

Proposed new location of solar panels. Previous location was mounted to the roof of the athletic building, shown toward the top of this image.

Rationale for Relocation

The solar panels themselves were previously mounted to the roof of the athletic building. They were installed in 2017 but have since created roof leak issues not previously identified until the floor of the building’s interior was recently changed from AstroTurf to basketball court flooring. In short, these panels cannot be mounted to this type of roof without creating potential leaks and damage. As a result, the management team at the Summit (technically employees of VIA Development) had the panels temporarily removed and stored so they could explore alternative locations. The panels were originally installed to reduce utility bills and minimize environmental impact, both goals that still remain.

Various options were explored with help from solar installation experts. Those options included moving the panels to roofs of other buildings on the campus, using different mounting techniques to return the panels to the previous rooftop location, and other ground areas within the Summit campus grounds. Unfortunately none of those options were feasible based on structural factors and solar energy generating ability (solar panels do not work in shady locations). Thus, the Summit’s two remaining options were to request a special use for the proposed ground location or simply get rid of the solar panels and not use them on the campus.

Resident Concerns

Though most Foster Park Neighborhood residents are generally supportive of cleaner energy sources, such as solar panels, various concerns were shared. Those concerns were ultimately shared with the BZA at the public hearing on Thursday, July 22nd. The BZA staff and members also shared their own concerns and developed recommended conditions to be met if the request was approved. See the staff report for more details.

Below are key concerns that were communicated, along with VIA Development and GRNE Solutions LLC responses and commitments.

Appropriateness to Surrounding Area | We shared our concerns about such a large solar panel array looking out of place in an otherwise residential and institutional area. Solar panels have an industrial appearance that could detract from the charm and historic character of our homes and neighborhoods. New and existing visual buffers were believed to alleviate at least some of this issue.

Similar Special Uses | We asked for examples of other similar special use requests in Fort Wayne, along with the outcomes of such requests. The BZA was not able to provide that level of detail for comparison.

Buffering | As was suggested in the BZA Staff Recommendation, we too spoke in strong support of buffering between the solar panel array and our neighborhood. More specifically, we wanted brick wall and evergreen tree buffering of similar scale and appearance to the existing buffering along Kimmel Drive. The BZA agreed that matching with existing visual buffers would be appropriate and amended the conditions to reflect that desire. Our association will be working directly with VIA Development to ensure the new buffering adheres to those sentiments. Additionally, per the conditions, all buffering is to be installed prior to the installation of solar panels.

Signage | We shared concerns about the potential for vandalism or improper use of the solar panels (for example, children climbing on them), or any possible risk of being so close to ground-mounted panels. The Summit has committed to install appropriate signage around the array to warn of possible hazards. They also indicated they would be regularly surveilling the area and adjusting monitoring protocols as needed to minimize potential damage to their investment.

Maintenance | VIA committed to properly maintaining the solar equipment and the grounds where they will be installed. The solar installation company have a comprehensive maintenance plan to keep the equipment in safe and good working order, thus alleviating potential health/safety concerns posed by panels that are broken or malfunctioning. Grounds maintenance crews will ensure that landscaping around the panels will be maintained properly and regularly.

Noise | We asked if any elements of the solar system will generate ambient noise while functioning. VIA and GRNE shared that this system does not generate any noise.

Approval with Conditions

Following much discussion at the public hearing and after getting commitments from VIA Development to address concerns raised, the BZA voted unanimously in favor or approval of the special use, including a set of conditions regarding buffering, spatial arrangements, etc. The neighborhood association will work closely with VIA Development to make sure the conditions of the approval are met and all new buffering meets or exceeds expectations.

Thanks to the many residents who shared their feedback regarding this matter. Please feel free to contact the association at fosterparkneighborhood@gmail.com with any questions or comments.