by

Jeff Jellison

Publisher, Hamilton County Reporter

Noblesville officials confirmed Friday the city is considering building a new police station on the grounds of the former Firestone plant located near 18th and Division streets. “The city has looked at multiple potential sites for a new police station over the years. What makes Firestone attractive is its location and the opportunity to redevelop the area, which we think will lead to other improvements,” stated Noblesville Public Affairs Manager Robert Herrington.

The former Firestone plant, which has been vacant for the past eight years, was just recently the focus of an extensive investigation by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Herrington confirmed Noblesville and Bridgestone Americas Inc., the current owner of the property, have been in negotiations. “We have had discussions with Bridgestone about the area. We also held a joint public information session with them in May about ways we can use the site and redevelop it.”

Due to concerns of contamination, the construction of a new police facility would need to occur on top of the existing cement slab. “We would not construct anything unless we were certain that it would be safe. Based on Firestone’s testing, as long as we’re building on top of that barrier and not down into the ground, and we’re not tapping into the groundwater for drinking water, then there is no danger for our public safety personnel and the public. It’s been reported to the city that additional, limited soil testing is still needed before a final determination can be made on the specific uses for the various Firestone sites. But all indications so far are positive that these uses would be approved,” said Herrington.

After working with a consultant the city estimates a cost of $13.6 million to $14.1 million to build a 40,000-square-foot police headquarters. Herrington indicated the Noblesville City Controller plans to analyze long-term financing to see if some of the existing revenue streams could be used to help with financing the project. “All options to fund the project will be considered to ensure the best value is realized for our taxpayers.”

Currently the Noblesville Police Department has 95 employees working in 14,340 square feet, a space that was configured for 32. The city estimates current needs are 25,500 square feet and is expected to need 42,000 square feet by the year 2023.

by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

(NOTE:  Commentaries by Fred Swift are posted here through a partnership between LarryInFishers and The Hamilton County Reporter.  The views expressed are those of Fred Swift.)

County Democratic Party Chairman Joe Weingarten says the Hamilton County Elections Office is planning to change the boundaries of many of the county’s voting precincts. But, he feels the precinct committeemen or committeewomen of both political parties should first be consulted “because they know their neighborhoods best.”

Mostly, the changes in precinct lines are necessary because of annexations by the county’s various cities and towns, says Elections Administrator Kathy Richardson. There is little committeemen or anyone else can do about this because precinct boundaries must conform with city limits to allow eligible voters to participate in city elections.

There are also some precincts where the number of voters is rapidly increasing, and shifting boundaries can more equalize the size of precincts to try to avoid long waits for voters on Election Day. In any event, voters will be notified if their polling place changes. Richardson says she invited Weingarten to her office to discuss the changes.  Apparently, Gregg Purvis will appear instead along with some other interested officials of both political parties. Under state election law, any precinct changes must be made by Aug. 11 preceding next spring’s primary election.

Ultimately, the planned changes will go the County Commissioners who officially set the boundaries, but they rely heavily on the elections office to do the research needed to conform with legal requirements.

Weingarten’s criticism follows his earlier promise to speak out on behalf of the minority party on issues in local government that concern him. The party chairman has indicated he did not feel Democrats spoke out enough in the past and wants to be more vocal.

Be aware of construction projects along Commercial Drive and the Municipal Complex included in the latest road work report.

Below is the listing for the work week that starts Monday, August 7th, as provided by the City of Fishers…

=============================

COMMERCIAL DRIVE

On Monday, August 7, at 9 a.m., Commercial Drive on the south side of 116th Street will be closed for 10 days. 116th Street will remain open, though the lanes may be narrowed for safety at the intersection. This full closure will allow the contractor to replace the concrete panels and crosswalk at 116th Street and will allow for the addition of a northbound right turn lane. Access into Wendy’s and Starbucks will be maintained from the south. Traffic will be detoured from Lantern Road to South Street.

MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

On Friday, August 11, Municipal Drive will be closed from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. directly in front of City Hall, along with the pass-through road near Liberty Plaza that accesses the Depot parking garage for the Stigma Free Fishers event. All diagonal parking spaces directly next to the Central Green (both east and west parking areas) will be closed for the entire day.

116TH STREET

Periodic lane restrictions will occur on 116th Street west of Allisonville Road as the contractor repairs concrete curbs and ramps and begins resurfacing work on the roadway. Restrictions will be in place between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Please drive with caution.

There will also be lane restrictions on 116th Street between I-69 and Cumberland Road throughout the summer in order for the contractor to make improvements to 116th Street.

113TH STREET

Lane restrictions will occur on 113th Street from Olio Road to Florida Road throughout the summer in order for the contractor to resurface and make improvements to the roadway.

CUMBERLAND ROAD

There will be lane restrictions on Cumberland Road at 116th Street while the new turn lanes are being poured. Flaggers will be in placed when necessary.  Please drive with caution as this project is being completed.

126TH STREET

Expect periodic lane restrictions between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on 126th Street between Allisonville Road and Lantern Road while the contractor installs passing blisters near Reserve at Lantern. Flaggers will be on site to direct traffic during the restrictions.

ALLISONVILLE ROAD

Starting Thursday, August 10 (weather permitting), the outside northbound lane on Allisonville Road just north of 116th Street will be closed for approximately 3 days while a new gas service is being installed for Kroger.

96TH STREET

Construction has begun on the new roundabout at 96th Street and Lantern Road. 96th Street traffic between Kincaid Drive and Fitness Lane/Pinecreek Drive will be reduced to one lane in each direction throughout the summer.

BROOKS SCHOOL ROAD 

The Brooks School Road bridge over Interstate 69 is closed as Milestone Contractors rebuild the bridge deck. Traffic will be detoured to Promise Road via 126th and 136th streets. The bridge will remain closed until August.

136TH AND PRAIRIE BAPTIST ROAD

The Hamilton County Highway Department has closed the intersection of 136th Street and Prairie Baptist Road to allow the contractor to reconstruct the intersection. The closure is scheduled to last approximately 60 days. Please follow signs for detour routes. Questions regarding this project may be directed to the Hamilton County Highway Department at 317-773-7770.

I-69 AND CAMPUS PARKWAY

The Campus Parkway interchange was recently shifted into a double-crossover traffic pattern. The interchange will remain under construction through July, when it is expected to be fully open to traffic in its permanent configuration.

Multiple traffic lane shifts will be required to complete construction of the new interchange design. Each phase of remaining construction will bring the interchange closer to its final traffic configuration and capacity. For more information about the new traffic pattern, please visit http://www.in.gov/indot/3441.htm

Milestone Contractors has begun mobilizing cranes and other equipment and setting a temporary concrete barrier wall along I-69 at Campus Parkway Exit 210. Work will require alternating lane closures on northbound and southbound I-69 between 9 p.m. and 6 p.m. Lane closures may reoccur each night through the end of the week depending on weather and progress. Questions about this project should be directed to INDOT at eastcentralin@indot.in.gov or
1-855-463-6848.

STATE ROAD 37

Contractors have begun work a $1.5 million drainage structure construction project on State Road 37 between 146th Street and Greenfield Avenue in Noblesville.

The first phase of construction will shift two lanes in each direction toward the right shoulders to provide room for construction in the median. The second phase will shift traffic toward the median to allow construction to be completed along the outside shoulders. All work on the project is expected to be complete this summer.

Geotechnical drilling began along the State Road 37 corridor in May as part of the final design phase of State Road 37 Improvement Project. Lane and shoulder restrictions will be active through September 30.

The geotechnical drilling will cause lane restrictions on SR 37 at the 126th Street intersection on or after August 7 and are anticipated to last until September 30. There will be no lane closures during Labor Day weekend, September 1st through September 4. Southbound restrictions begin after 9 a.m. daily and northbound restrictions will be completed daily before 4 p.m. to allow for maximum traffic flow during peak rush hours. Crews will maintain a minimum of one through-lane at all times.

The SR37 improvement project is a $124 million joint project between Fishers, Hamilton County, Noblesville and INDOT. Questions or concerns may be directed to drivefishers@fishers.in.us.

OUTSIDE OF FISHERS

The City of Carmel has closed 116th Street and Hazel Dell Parkway for the construction of a roundabout. This closure is expected to last for 75 days. Questions and updates about this project should be directed to the City of Carmel at 317-571-2400.

by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

Financing for a proposed solar energy system for Hamilton County’s jail complex
and health department will remain under study by the County Council following
Wednesday’s council meeting. The proposal came from County Commissioners in June
and was tabled by the council in July for study by their finance committee.

The $8 million project would provide electric power for buildings on the Corrections
Complex and the Health Department building, using solar panels to collect energy
and convert it to power for lighting, heating and air conditioning. Several governmental
units in the state, including Sheridan Schools, are currently using solar power.

Steve Schwartz, a council member who favors the technology, says the plan is a “no
brainer” because the cost can be retrieved from money currently spent on electricity,
a cost that is rising. Other council members promise the finance committee will review
the plans in the next few weeks.

In other matters, the council gave approval to begin the process for right-of-way
acquisition to construct a “flyover” ramp and roadway from 146th Street to
southbound Keystone Parkway.

The construction, an extension of Lowe’s Way south, will enable motorists much
easier access to Keystone. Cost is estimated at $12 million with a third of the money
coming from federal highway funds.

And, after several months of consideration, council members approved a request
from elections administrator Kathy Richardson for electronic poll books. The $430,000
purchase will allow electronic tabulation and reporting of election results from the county’s 215 precincts. The equipment is currently in use in nearly half of the state’s
counties.

The council also gave its approval to the Hamilton North Library’s plans for a bond
issue to construct additional facilities at its Jackson Township libraries. And a resolution,
authorized by state law, was adopted which recommends all taxing units in the
county maintain their 2018 tax levies at current levels.

by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

–Mosquitoes infected by the West Nile virus have been found in the Noblesville area.
The County Health Department has begun spraying the area where the infected
insects were found.  There have thus far been no reports of persons becoming ill
with the virus. Health officials urge residents going outside, especially between dusk and dawn, to use repellent and try to avoid areas known for large mosquito populations.

–Wayne Sturtevant, judge of Hamilton Superior Court 5 for the past 20 years,
retires on Friday. At his request there will be no retirement reception. No successor has
been named. Gov. Eric Holcomb will appoint a new judge to fill out Sturtevant’s
term which runs through December 2020.  Court Magistrate David Najjar and Carmel
City Judge Brian Poindexter are believed top contenders for the appointment.

–The road construction season is in full swing. The county highway department has
warned of the following road closures:

-276 Street from U.S. 31 to Anthony Road for
reconstruction,

-Towne Road between 146th and 151st Streets for reconstruction,

-the intersection of 136th Street and Prairie Baptist Road for rebuilding the crossing, and

-151st Street between Greyhound Pass and U.S. 31 for a new roundabout.

–The annual national conference of the Metropolitan Information Exchange will be
co-hosted by Hamilton County on September 11-14. The meeting of about 50 Chief Operating Officers of Information Technology services will be held in Indiana
for the first time partially because of the outstanding Hamilton County IT
Department. Local speakers will include County IT Director Chris Martens, Fishers
Mayor Scott Fadness and County Commissioner Christine Altman. The attendees will visit Kotweii County Park as part of the effort to showcase Indiana.

–Hamilton County has also won a Digital County Award from the National
Association of Counties. The award goes annually to counties that demonstrate how
technology improves public services and promotes efficiency.

–A date of September 6 has been chosen for a caucus of the Senate District 20
Republican precinct committee. The caucus, to be held at the IVY Tech auditorium in
Noblesville, will select a new state senator to replace Sen. Luke Kenley who retires
effective September 30. At least five candidates have announced intentions to run
in the caucus.

The Hamilton County Leadership Academy  (HCLA) has announced its new incoming class, many with Fishers connections.  The academy members learn about county government and work on a specific project during their tenure.

Here is the announced listing: Continue reading HCLA Announces New Class →

by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

Below is the County Line’s annual quiz to see how knowledgeable readers are on Hamilton County government, history and geography. All the answers have appeared in the Reporter during the past year.

1. Can you name the six public school districts in our county?
2. Who is our current member of the U.S. Congress?
3. Which is the approximate current population of Hamilton County: 100,000, 200,000 or 300,000?
4. What community was the first county seat of Hamilton County?
5. How many cities are currently found in the county?
6. William Conner is considered the first county white settler. What was his American Indian wife’s name?
7. There were once two major railroads running north and south through Hamilton County. Name them.
8. The county had two high school football state champions in 2016. Who were they?
9. The powerful leader of the Indiana Ku Klux Klan was convicted of murder in a nationally publicized trial in Noblesville. Who was he?
10. The County Council is composed of how many members, five, seven or nine?
11. What historic pre-Civil War route operated through Hamilton County?
12. In area, the county is the smallest of 10 Hamilton Counties in the U.S. Is it about 40 square miles, 400 square miles or 4,000 square miles?

Answers: Continue reading Fred Swift’s Hamilton County Quiz →

For some strange reason, every time there is a big story breaking about the Nickel Plate Rail Line, I seem to be out of town.  That is what happened on Monday, July 31st.  That is the day the owners of the line made the decision many expected.

The decision comes down to this.  The rail line, running from Tipton south to Indianapolis, is owned by three governmental entities….Fishers, Noblesville and Hamilton County.  Officials from all three governments announced late in 2016 that they would move forward with a plan converting the Nickel Plate Rail Line to a trail from downtown Noblesville south to 96th Street, taking the trail through the City of Fishers all the way to the Hamilton-Marion County Line.

This decision means there will no longer be a fair train running from downtown Fishers to the State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis.  The fair train ran for many years, but ended in 2016 when the Hoosier Heritage Port Authority, the entity with appointees selected by the track owners, had the rails inspected and made a decision that the rails were not up to safety standards.

The Indiana Transportation Museum in Noblesville argued strongly that the rail line was not as bad as the Port Authority determined.  But as the owners, the Authority had the legal right to make that judgment.

There was a public hearing in Noblesville to take comments on the trail proposal, and the rail supporters filled the room to overflow, making emotional arguments to save the rail line.

The Port Authority then took requests for proposals on the use of the entire line. The three owners reviewed all the proposals and announced their decision Monday morning.  There will be some rail excursions, after acceptance of the proposal submitted by Hamilton County Tourism Inc. on behalf of Arcadia Arts & Heritage Depot and Atlanta Pacific Railroad LLC.  The approved bid calls for operating tourism trains only on the northern portion of the corridor—from Arcadia to Tipton.

The county abstained from voting because Commissioner Christine Altman recused herself and Commissioner Steve Dillinger was not present at the Monday morning gathering.  That left only one commissioner, Mark Heirbrandt, available to vote.  But the votes of Mayors Ditslear and Fadness were enough to approve the plan.

Hamilton County, Fishers & Noblesville will now move forward on converting the rail line south of downtown Noblesville to 96th Street.

There have been a number of twists and turns along the way.  Some rail supporters utilized the Indiana public access laws to make public e-mails from Noblesville Deputy Mayor Steve Cooke.  The messages were embarrassing, leading to Noblesville Mayor John Ditslear to remove Cooke from the rail issue.

Rail supporters asked for a federal court injunction but the judge turned down that request.  There is a civil lawsuit pending over the rail vs. trail issue, but no one knows how that will end.

I have written several times that this entire debate has pulled me in a number of different directions,  I have very fond memories of the Nickel Plate train.  I took my daughters on the fair train when they were young.  My wife and I took the dinner train excursions and enjoyed them very much.  It is very clear to anyone familiar with the history of Fishers and Noblesville that the Nickel Plate Rail Line is very much a part of the fabric that helped build Fishers into the community we have today.

But, in talking with many city officials, they are looking for a trans-formative use for that rail line.  For many years, there was talk of a mass transit connection to downtown Indianapolis.  That talk faded as Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness began talking about how technology will likely make our current mass transit systems obsolete.  It was after he began making that argument that the trail proposal was unveiled.

Whether you agree or disagree with the plan announced by the three owners of the rail line, all of us most understand the reality of the situation.  The three government entities owning the track are elected officials.  We elect our mayors and county commissioners to make these decisions.  The governments own the track and those elected to run those governments have made their decision.

Barring some unforeseen event, such as a court ruling, this decision has been made.  It is time to move forward, whether we agree or disagree with the decision.

Here is this week’s edition of Hamilton County Goes To The Movies.  Justin Mack is our guest – he handles breaking news on IndyStar.com and has a daily video posted on the Web site.  Adam & I review the films Dunkirk & The Big Sick

Posted by

Hamilton County Reporter

The new double-crossover diamond interchange at Campus Parkway and Interstate 69 (Exit 210) is nearly complete and is anticipated to open to its final traffic pattern next week. Additional lanes will be opened in both directions over I-69 and on some interchange ramps.

Milestone Contractors plans to pave surface asphalt and apply final pavement markings starting Monday night, July 31. In order to complete the work more safely and efficiently, the interchange will be partially closed each night next week between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Campus Parkway access over I-69 will be closed. The Campus Parkway entrance ramps to I-69 and the I-69 exit ramps to Campus Parkway may be closed. Electronic message signs and police will advise motorists of the closures and direct traffic to the Olio Road overpass to cross over the interstate during the overnight operations.

Weather permitting, the interchange is expected to be complete and open in its final configuration and capacity by the end of the week. Some additional work may remain with little to no impact to traffic.

Click here to watch a short video on how to navigate a double-crossover diamond interchange. The video is provided by INDOT.

About the double-crossover diamond interchange

Two similar interchanges have been constructed with success in Indiana. The first was at I-69 and Dupont Road in Fort Wayne, and the second was built at I-65 and Worthsville Road in Greenwood.

This interchange design may appear unusual, but by following signs, pavement markings and traffic signal instructions, drivers find these interchanges easy to navigate.

Right turns at double-crossover diamond interchanges are very similar to traditional intersections.

For traffic crossing the Campus Parkway bridge over I-69, traffic signals, signs and pavement markings briefly shift traffic to the left side of the road. This allows left-turning traffic to flow more freely as it enters and exits I-69.

Through traffic on Campus Parkway shifts back to the right side of the road at the next traffic signal.

Added travel lane construction

Widening Campus Parkway at I-69 and building the double-crossover diamond interchange is part of the $92 million I-69 Major Moves 2020 project adding a travel lane to each direction of I-69 between State Road 37 (Exit 205) and State Road 38 (Exit 219). In addition, other improvements are being made to rehabilitate existing bridges, pavement and drainage structures on the 15-mile stretch of interstate.

Two lanes of traffic in each direction of I-69 are currently shifted to accommodate construction of the additional travel lanes. Signs direct large trucks to use the left lane while traffic is shifted toward the right shoulder through the work zone. The speed limit is reduced to 60 mph and further reduced to 50 mph when workers are present.

I-69 is expected to open to three lanes in each direction between State Road 37 and State Road 38 before the end of this year.

For more information about the I-69 Major Moves 2020 project, visit http://www.in.gov/indot/3440.htm and subscribe to receive project updates via text or email.