The Winona Lake Redevelopment Commission Wednesday approved the expenditure of funds on projects that have already been completed or are near completion.
The first approval was a quote for $63,477.50 from Phend & Brown for the Park Avenue parking lot addition, which also was approved by the town council. The other bid came from Niblock Excavating for $72,962.65.
After some modifications on striping and irrigation, Phend & Brown’s quote may drop by about $4,000.
Town Coordinator Craig Allebach said Councilman Peter Christos brought the parking lot idea to him and then raised it at the May town council meeting, after the bike festival, because of his concern with parking, especially during the festival. During the bike festival, the Boathouse parking lot is used a lot because participants want to be close to the event.
“He approached me and I said that is the Village property and to see if that area is something they want to consider (for a parking lot), and let me know. They actually let me know that they had a board meeting down there and they approved to have a parking lot there,” Allebach recalled.
The parking lot was extended with a few more spots with a separate entrance, which Allebach said will provide some relief for parking issues in the Village.
Also approved with a stipulation by the commission was the expenditure of $7,888.35 to pay for half of the electronic sign at the entrance of town at Argonne Road and Winona Avenue. The Village of Winona will pay for the other half.
The sign from Graycraft Signs Plus, Warsaw, replaced the other sign that had been there.
“The biggest holdout for an electronic sign was the placement of the sign because we thought at that point that we were – and we still are – entertaining the idea of a roundabout there,” Allebach said. “If we placed it, we’d have to move it, so we said we’d wait to see how this roundabout thing turns out. And here we are four to five years later and still no sign.”
He said he was approached about five weeks ago by Jeremy Marsh, Village at Winona managing director, who wanted to purchase an electronic sign to be placed by the Argonne/Winona light. Marsh told Allebach the Village would pay half if they paid half. Allebach agreed and Marsh had the sign purchased.
Allebach said they had a portable sign at the light but it looked terrible and they wanted something more professional looking.
He said when someone wants something placed on the sign, they can come to the town and the town provides it to Marsh. “So it’s kind of – in a lot of respects – a win-win for everybody. We get rid of the (old) sign but have control as we can put stuff up there, we’re not paying to put stuff up there, and he can utilize that for the Village, too,” Allebach said.
Outside groups would have to pay about $25 to have their message on the sign, which also can display graphics.
Commission member John Elliott said there should be a written policy of who can put things up on the sign and what can be posted.
Denny Daniels, commission member, agreed, saying, “You better have some policies and procedures in place on this.”
Allebach said they haven’t had any problems with their previous sign. The old sign was first-come, first serve, while the new sign can rotate messages so more than one organization can have their message up at a time.
Daniels asked, “There is going to be somebody who has the right to refuse to put up certain messages. Who is that?”
“That would be run through (Parks Director) Holly (Hummitch) in the town hall here. They will determine whether the message is appropriate,” Allebach said.
“Be sure because you’re going to be tested on it,” Daniels warned.
He also asked Allebach if the sign could be toned down because it is extremely bright to the point of almost being a distraction. Allebach said when the sun goes down, the sign automatically tones down its light level, but he will talk to Marsh about it.
Commission member Denny Duncan said all things considered, the sign is a good idea. He said the previous sign was “despicable.”
Elliott made a motion to approve reimbursing the Village for half of the sign’s cost provided that by the end of the year the town council have a written policy in place on who can use the sign. The motion was approved.
Total cost for the sign was $15,766.
The commission’s next meeting will be at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 9 in the town hall. Beginning in January, the commission will meet on the second Wednesday of every month at 5:30 p.m. unless there is no business to come before it.
(Story By The Times Union)
