SRC Approves 16th Street Realignment Survey(posted Nov 9) The Speedway Redevelopment Commission approved starting field survey and aquatic uses reviews for the 16th Street and Crawfordsville Road realignment as part of the redevelopment master plan. SRC President Scott Harris indicated the election day special session 8 am meeting was necessary to approve the advance notice for American Structurepoint to proceed. The contract is not to exceed $143,400. The vote was 4-0, Steve Bishop was absent. The full contract will be on the Nov 19 agenda for approval, but until then Harris said legal counsel didn't have a problem with expediting the survey because potential freezing weather could put the project behind until March. The aquatic resource survey in Little Eagle Creek and Dry Run Creek needs to be done prior to freezing. Harris indicated the window of opportunity is small with winter approaching. Susan Luebbert said that other seasonal wild life that use the creeks are not seen during this time of year and wanted to know if the survey would account for that. Harris said a bigger survey that looks at all the environmental issues would be done and that is a requirement by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Harris indicated legal notices have to be given to affected property owners within the next few weeks that includes the existing 16th Street area, the new realignment area and the future roundabout. According to Metropolitan Planning Organization Director Mike Dearing, nothing has been approved concerning the realignment of 16th Street and he had no comment as to why the SRC would conduct a field survey, but said he was not familiar with implementation procedures because the MPO is a planning agency. He said the SRC has submitted modifications to the thoroughfare plan. DPW Public Information Officer Paul Whitmore said no approval has been given on the 16th Street road alignment, but the SRC can work on a design phase without a formal approval. "It is up to them. They are paying for it," he said. Whitmore could not say whether it was premature to do the field work without an approval because the DPW has no jurisdiction in telling the SRC how to spend its funds. If the project for this major thoroughfare is approved and completed, the DPW and the SRC would develop an understanding for road maintenance. Department of Metropolitan Development Public Information Officer Angela Nussmeyer said the November 21 public hearing to amend the Indianapolis Regional Transportation Improvement Plan does not include the proposed project from Speedway's redevelopment plan. "Those projects have been submitted for consideration for inclusion of the IRTIP, but the review of all of the projects is still underway by the MPO and the IRTC including the DPW," she said. Larissa Heller of the DNR explained the DNR did not initiate the SRC's aquatic survey and the department has not received any plans or information concerning the relocation of 16th Street. The only permit the DNR has approved of at this time is the IMS enclosure of Dry Run Creek that includes an earmark of $25,000 to mitigate 2,400 feet of the creek or another creek within the floodway. "As a condition of the IMS enclosure of Dry Run Creek, $25,000 would be provided for future mitigation for potential stream enclosures as a result of the proposed Speedway Redevelopment plans. If that mitigation is not initiated within five years from July 25, 2007, then IMS will complete the mitigation of Dry Run Creek at a ratio of 1:1 as proposed by Williams Creek Consulting," she said. Heller said the DNR will conduct an in-house site assessment for the 16th Street road alignment when the time comes to investigate the project's impact on wildlife, fish, botanical life and the floodway. The DNR will form the guidelines for the project since the realignment involves the floodway and permits would be required to work in that area. She said the SRC's study could be submitted as potential supplemental material to the DNR's in-house site assessment. |
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