On a Facebook post about the bypass, someone recently said, “why are people afraid of new ideas?” I’m not afraid of new ideas. I’m afraid of bad ideas. That doesn’t mean the ideas didn’t have good intentions.
I’ve listened to what others have said recently regarding the speed on Ind. 1; the semi traffic through Bluffton; the need for industry growth; and getting to Fort Wayne faster. The current plan, which includes expanding Ind. 1 and the bypass around the east side of Ossian, doesn’t address these concerns.
Residents won’t save an adequate amount of time bypassing Ossian alone. The real problem with getting from Bluffton to Fort Wayne is Bluffton. It takes 20 minutes to get from one side of Bluffton to the other. A four-lane road doesn’t change the number of stoplights in Bluffton.
A bypass around the east side of Ossian or widening Ind. 1 to four lanes, doesn’t stop the semi traffic through Bluffton. It won’t help the Industrial Park businesses in Ossian or the factories in Bluffton. However, it would make a nightmare situation for residents who live on Ind. 1 (assuming they get to keep their houses) who would have to turn across the lanes of traffic to get to their homes. While Ind. 1 probably wasn’t meant to be a residential road, it has turned into one.
A plan I could theoretically support would be one that doesn’t expand Ind. 1 in, or between, Ossian and Bluffton but instead bypasses both to the west. A western bypass could be tied into the back side of the Industrial Park in Ossian and would be beneficial for the factories in Bluffton (which are also on the west side).
A majority of Bluffton’s housing is toward the south end of town. Bypassing most of both towns would save a substantial amount of time for residents that commute to Fort Wayne. This type of plan could alleviate the thru traffic and congestion on Ind. 1.
All plans come with their own set of challenges. But this plan does address the community’s concerns listed above and makes sense from a growth standpoint. I don’t support the loss of farmland or homes no matter how much there is to gain. That is someone’s life, legacy, and home.
As people have pointed out recently, it might be inevitable. It’s not if, but when. When we lose the farmland and homes, I hope it’s for a plan that makes sense and addresses all the community’s needs.
Myndi Love
rural Ossian
