Vacating of industrial park road raises concerns

Concerns regarding the vacating of a portion of industrial park road CR 60 W. were voiced during a commissioners’ meeting and not by the public.
On Dec. 19, Town of Winamac council members and town manager Brad Zellers approached the commissioners about the concerns the town council has with the vacating of the road.
Commissioners approved the vacating of CR 60 W., between SR 14 and CR 25 S., that is located in the industrial park on Nov. 21.
Zellers said there are several utility easements and a lift station that serves more than the industrial park. He questioned if the utility departments will be able to access those utilities easily.
Commissioner Larry Brady said the utility easements will remain the same and the town will be have access to those easements.
As part of the vacating of the road, BraunAbility has plans to close the road by fencing it off with a gate. The gate may or may not be manned at all times. Those details are still being worked out.
The other concern of the town is that the town roadways will be used by delivery trucks.
Winamac Town Councilman Tom Murray questioned if the commissioners cared about the industrial park. “Closing the road kills the industrial park,” he said.
Brady said the commissioners are working to improve the industrial park in Winamac and hopefully on the west side of the community.
There was a question of what will be the main entrance of the industrial park if it is vacated by the county. Pulaski County Community Development Commission Executive Director Nathan Origer said the existing entrance will remain the main entrance to the companies that are there and any new companies.