Waynedale Neighborhood Project Is Coming In 2025: Councilman’s Corner
As 2025 rapidly approaches, I am excited to announce that the Waynedale Neighborhood Plan (WNP) will enter its “heavy engagement” phase in the coming months. We were blessed to see over 160 neighbors come out for the summer kickoff at Waynedale United Methodist church. From the feedback City planners at the Department of Neighborhoods received from attendees at this event and other outreach to the Waynedale community, we have constructed a roadmap to fully develop a neighborhood plan. Here I begin to describe the needs that we have heard.
First, public safety and infrastructure repair are the foundation of a thriving community. The Waynedale community was shaken by the Kroger tragedy. It was a reminder of the need for proactive safety planning in addition to always-ready first responders. At the same time, we need more walkable sidewalks, better paved streets, more streetlights, and traffic calming. I have personally walked nearly every street in Waynedale and reviewed with our Public Works team the “PASER ratings” of our asphalt and chip-and-seal streets, many of which have moth-eaten edges and/or need curb work. We have a long-term plan to fix them, and we are working to expedite this progress.
Second, by improving infrastructure and public safety, we can expand community activities which engage neighbors and improve our quality of life. Some of these interests have been previously described in the 2017 Lower Huntington Road/ Bluffton Corridor Plan. I have reviewed these with many of you. For example, Alex Cornwell of The Waynedale News recently expressed interest in reviving the Waynedale Business Chamber, an organization he co-founded in 2015. The chamber became inactive during the COVID-19 pandemic under varying leadership. We hope to see more business collaboration and growth in the coming years. We may also benefit from new restaurants and a community center, or other gathering places.
We want to celebrate Waynedale’s pride which dates back to the 1950s. In fact, we have already ordered some lamp-post signage and hope to eventually have a brick-and-mortar “Welcome to Waynedale” sign. So how do we accomplish our Waynedale Neighborhood Plan? I am working with the City Council and the Mayor’s office to raise funding for these efforts. And in the coming months, we need you to engage!
We will soon be present in small neighborhood meetings throughout the Waynedale area. We have representatives from nearly every neighborhood and church community. We will meet in these homes, businesses, and churches near you. Keep an eye on waynedaleplan.com for updates and watch for details headed your way. And if you are interested in being a neighborhood representative, please call Michael Terronez at the Department of Neighborhoods at 260-427-2139.
Lastly, I have taken in every phone, social media, and email message to create a comprehensive “To Do List” spreadsheet. These efforts are already rolling forward, in addition to the Waynedale Neighborhood Plan efforts described above. Our city right-of-way team is working to fix small infrastructure concerns (e.g. sidewalk holes). And our Public Works team has state-of-the-art technology which has scoured nearly every street as described above. Further, we have been fortunate to enjoy support from our Mayor who has provided me with additional discretionary monies to our 4th district for small repairs. As always, it is important when there is a problem to let it be known, by contacting 311 for small, immediate fixes for problems like potholes, and myself for larger, more focused construction. But a report to 311 creates a file and gets things moving.
In conclusion, the City of Fort Wayne staff will be in your neighborhood soon and we need your input. The Mayor’s office and I are committed to the long-term improvement of the Waynedale area. Indeed, the City’s Department of Neighborhoods now under Dan Baisden is establishing the “gold standard” of what meaningful neighborhood planning looks like! I am very optimistic that the Waynedale Neighborhood Plan will be a long-term success. Thank you in advance for your participation.
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