By HOLLY GASKILL
As city and county government entities begin to review components of the Wells County Vision 2035 plan in the coming months, several county residents have drawn attention to transportation goals outlined in the plan.
Primarily, they voiced concern for the addition of a four-lane highway in Wells County outlined in the 2020 North Corridor Study done by Butler, Fairman & Seufert Inc. engineering firm. In February of 2020, the total construction was estimated to cost $329,238,000.
The study names specific roadways for lane and right-of-way expansion based on their current traffic and safety rates, as well as the financial viability of the projects. The sections of the affected roadways include Ind. 1 from Dustman Road to Wells County Road 1200N, 100E from 300N to 1200N, 450E from Division Road to1200N, 600E from U.S. 224 to 1200N, and 300N from Ind. 116 to 450E.
Specifically, the study prioritizes the pathways on Ind. 1, which would be completed by the Indiana Department of Transportation. This section would include three phases: Reconstruction from Dustman Road to CR 300N, reconstruction from CR 300N to U.S. 224, and realigning Ind. 1 around downtown Ossian from US-24 to CR 1200N.
County Engineer Nate Rumschlag says the study was conducted following a 2018 study and improvements in the south corridor.
Ossian resident Marielle Lael spoke at the June meetings of the Wells County Council and also at the County Commissioners’ meetings — and then to the Ossian Town Council this week — to express her opposition to the construction of Ind. 1 and 450E. She said she worried that realigning the road around Ossian would hurt local businesses, and county road reconstruction would remove farmland from the community. Lael’s mother, Helen Witte, owns about 133 acres on 450E.
“To me, when I look at a comparison of displacing people from their homes, taking farmland, making it more difficult for farmers and their livelihood to access their livelihood,” Lael said. “It increases their cost of production. I think we need to look at what other alternatives might be out there.”
Rumschlag recognized that there would be a loss in agricultural land, but not substantially different from what is already occurring.
According to county home permit records, at least 62 acres of farmland were converted to residential living in 2021, which is consistent with patterns over the last five years. In 2022, the county saw at least 32 acres be privately transferred from agricultural to residential. Rumschlag said the three phases of the Ind. 1 project would require roughly 153 acres.
“There is a natural attrition that is happening and it is not being driven by the county, that is being driven specifically by demand by the property owners and it’s being facilitated by the farming community or the landowners,” Rumschlag said.
At this time, however, there is not a clear projection of the houses and buildings the highway plans could affect.
Rumschlag said the contents of the 2020 study were decided based upon previously-discussed needs of the county by commissioners, council members and taxpayers. Rumschlag cited studies that had been conducted as early as 2000 that pointed to the need to make these or similar road improvements. In 2007, INDOT ranked a four-lane connection between Bluffton and Fort Wayne as the No. 7 INDOT priority.
The main route between the two cities has recently been surveyed as handling 15,000 vehicles in daily traffic, several thousand more than the four-lane connections in Adams County between Berne to Monroe and Decatur to Fort Wayne. Currently, Wells County is the only county in INDOT’s 11-county district without a four-lane highway.
“We’re the only county in 11 whatever — if you think creating that little bypass on Thiele Road, or I’ll call it 450E because it’s my road, is the treasure you need, it’s an awfully expensive treasure just to say ‘We have a four-lane highway that speeds our way through Ossian,’” Lael said.
From an economic development standpoint, Mike Lautzenheiser, executive director of the Wells County Area Plan Commission, said the absence of a four-lane highway is a barrier to bringing new businesses to Wells County. County Commissioner Jeff Stringer also said he sees the addition as an avenue to create opportunities for the next generation.
“One of our biggest resources is our youth, and our youth is leaving Wells County,” Stringer said. “We’ve got a way to get them opportunities … that’s why I’m looking for some way to get a four-lane highway into Wells County, so we can grow that industrial park, so we do have good jobs for that next generation.”
“I don’t think there’s anybody here … that is close-minded to the need of growth and keeping our youth and making jobs available,” Heidi Dettemer said. “It’s just — let’s make sure we’re analyzing every avenue possible.”
While other options have been considered, Rumschlag said significant problems eliminated those roadways from the official study.
“I’m worried this is a want, not a need,” Lael said.
While these additions are included in the Vision 2035 plan, they will be far from happening, even if the plan is approved as is. Instead, Wells County’s approval will show the desire for the four-lane addition to INDOT. According to Rumschlag, if INDOT decides to pursue the project, they will conduct their own study to verify the results of the 2020 North Corridor Study.
However, Rumschlag expressed worry that if there is not a somewhat united decision on the desired improvements, INDOT can proceed with the project based purely on their study and will not take public opinion into consideration. Wells County Economic Development Director Chad Kline made a similar note to the Ossian Redevelopment Commission this week as well.
“You better want it before you need it,” Rumschlag said.
As a product of the Area Planning Commission, feedback regarding the plan can be directed to the APC office or brought to their next public meeting on July 7. Cited documents are linked in the online version of this article or are available through the Wells County website.
holly@news-banner.com
