Building A Better Future Through Neighborhood Planning | Councilman’s Corner
The Waynedale 2040 Neighborhood Plan will soon be fully adopted by Fort Wayne City Council and will then be implemented by staff and residents. You may recall that exciting day in June 2024 when we kicked this Plan off at the Waynedale UMC. In the two years since, your engagement and commitment has been extraordinary. A brief summary of these efforts is included here and can be seen online at waynedaleplan.com. I am personally very proud of this plan, and am committed to seeing it through.
Why did we need to build such a Plan in the first place? In my mind, it is about harnessing our collective talents to intentionally improve the development of our neighborhoods in a meaningful way, now and always. We are also very fortunate to have a truly top-notch Neighborhood Development team in our city, whom most of you have now met. With their guidance, we conceived the “Waynedale 2040” plan to represent a “generational commitment” to change. At the same time, we have already completed many of the infrastructure upgrades and planning processes, outlined below.
I realize that there is much frustration with current construction efforts such as the NIPSCO gas line project, and some infrastructure repairs still in waiting. I understand and share your frustrations and will continue to advocate for less disruption. Also, I share each of your emails and phone calls with our Public Works team who have an organized “To Do” list and take each of these issues seriously. In fact, street crews have recently been working “double-time” to fix the many potholes that Old Man Winter left us with this Spring. Bottom line, we are pursuing corrections to every infrastructure challenge ASAP. In the meantime, the 2040 progress continues. Improvements are underway at Avalon Place, Old Trail Road, and many neighborhood streets which are too many to list here.
And Now…here is a brief overview of your Waynedale 2040 Goals and Strategies:
Background:
- Founded in 1921, Waynedale has a unique history and identity.
- Waynedale lost about 1,900 residents (12.6%) from 1980 to 2010, and since gained about 750. Population is currently 13,852 per the 2020 census.
- Thank you to our dedicated Waynedale 2040 committee for their service! As a result of their hard work we had approximately 1,000 residents actively involved and another 2,000 engage online.
Connection & Safety Needs To:
- Enhance our great relationships among neighbors who take pride in gathering places such as the Waynedale Library, parks, churches, and local businesses.
- Grow safe pedestrian connectivity in these spaces and through sidewalk & lighting improvements.
- Enhance easy access to Waynedale thoroughfare, public transportation, and trails. This should include upgrades to parks, open spaces, and possibly bus stops with GPS applications.
- Support the development of a Park in the Lakeshores neighborhood as recommended by the FW Parks comprehensive plan.
- Enhance public safety through CPTED (crime prevention through environmental design) and community-oriented policing strategies.
Resourcefulness Needs To:
- Attract entrepreneurs and small business growth and development including our Bluffton and LHR corridors.
- Encourage redevelopment of vacant and underutilized land to support infill and mixed-use family-oriented development. This may include a town square in the re-zoned space around LHR & Old Trail Road.
- Advocate for the coordination of capital improvement projects which support the goals of our 2040 plan. E.g., residents want more restaurants, fewer gas stations.
- Support the activation of inactive Neighborhood Associations and encourage them to partner with community institutions.
- Support youth development efforts and local church activities.
- Celebrate Waynedale’s unique history and identity through marketing and public art to tell these stories.
I want to again thank our dedicated Neighborhood Development Team and Waynedale 2040 committee. Thank you also to our Mayor’s administration and Fort Wayne City Council for their commitment to continuing these efforts. I will continue to advocate for optimal funding of them (without raising taxes) each year ahead. Please follow waynedaleplan.com and connect with me on Facebook/Instagram for ongoing updates.
In other news, many have expressed their strong preference for No Quarry. I have written a letter on behalf of City Council to the Allen County Commissioners which I shared on Facebook last month. I also wrote a letter to the BZA and will speak at the public hearing on May 26, 5:30pm at the Coliseum. You are welcome to attend that meeting. Lastly, please keep in touch with me through social media or my cell phone.
~ Dr. Scott Myers, 4th District City Councilman – Fort Wayne
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