The Fix Is In Bubba
Posted by Jeff Pruitt - 5/12/08 @ 12:53 am - Filed Under 2008 Local Elections, Featured, Local Politics
The county commissioner’s received their economic impact study back for the wasteful $55 million Maplecrest Extension project and low and behold the numbers have convinced the commissioner’s to move the project forward - surprise, surprise.
Every single one of these studies tout “construction jobs” as part of their economic impact but these jobs simply cannot be part of the analysis. If that were truly economic development then the state would just pay everybody to run around building things year-round. No, the real economic impact comes from private investment and what does this study say about that?
The firm projects direct investment of $453 million in the corridor following the project, plus another $262 million in related activity. This post-construction activity is expected to create 7,300 jobs.
So let’s put this into perspective. Laying down 1.5 miles of asphalt is going to create 11 times the investment we’re seeing at Harrison Square. Just think about that for a minute - for all it’s faults Harrison Square is a massive project that is drawing significant private investment. And we’re to believe that this road project will generate an order of magnitude more investment? Well if you believe that then I’ve got some Harrison Square condos to sell you my friend.
And of course the commissioners are pushing forward as fast as they can:
“It looks favorable to me. Now’s the time to get things done,” Commissioner Bill Brown said Friday while discussing a draft of the report prepared by the Indianapolis consulting firm of RW Armstrong.
But County Council will have to reach a similar conclusion before work can begin – a vote that could come as soon as next week.
And neither newspaper has decided to inform the public that they could actually have a say on this project via the new referendum law if it were only delayed a month or so. Don’t forget that voters supported the referendum aspect of HB1001 to the tune of 70%, the state legislature passed it nearly unanimously and the governor was a major proponent as well. You would think the fact that voters could be denied the opportunity to use this new, overwhelmingly popular law would be news. Not in Fort Wayne I guess…
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17 Responses to “The Fix Is In Bubba”
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Over the last couple of years I have analyzed several “economic impact studies.”
Most of the studies I have seen have no link to reality and claim an absurd numbber of jobs and job growth.
It is likely that if there is any job growth it will simply “shuffle” jobs from one part of the City to another…
Mike Sylvester
I’m just curious as to where all this growth is actually going to occur. If the growth is on Adams Center, which I assume is where it would be (since there isn’t much room for additional development on Maplecrest), then I am curious whether the [presumably industrial] growth would occur without the bridge. Heavy truck traffic, in my opinion, is highly unlikely to want to drive up Maplecrest to get to I-69 North without significant changes on Maplecrest. So if truck traffic is going east to 469 anyway, why is the bridge needed? Hopefully the commissioners will be sharing this report with other elected officials so that we can all read it and decide for ourselves.
This is a pea and shell game move. The only good thing that may come out of this “fix” is one county commish will get voted out of office along with a number of council council members if this passes.
Why does anyone think this report was going to come back saying it was not a smart move. That is like a crook being allowed to get his own jury for a trial. What do you think the jury is going to rule?
Had enough folks, I have, time to vote these’s three and others out now. We can’t afford this kind of treatment anymore.
Again, well say J.Q. Taxpayer!
Karen - Since our Common Council is the source of the “no trucks on Maplecrest extension” and since you are now a member of this governmental group, you should be aware that, since this bridge will lie mainly, of not completely, in the Fort Wayne city limits, no truck traffic will be allowed. And why? Because access from the commercial, industrial area on Adams Center will prefer to use I-469. It’s not like Ardmore/Hillegas on our west side that has the gravel, asphalt and concrete trucks wanting to use it>
Also, at this morning’s conservative breakfast meeting, Nelson Peters and I discussed what I have been critqueing him about concerning a trip with our former mayor Richard to visit with Ms. Musgrave, to discuss the property tax back-up on the Harrison Square lease/bond issue. Mr. peters informed me that Kathleen Quilligan’s report of their making this trip together was in error. In fact, he said he just happened to be in that office in Indianapolis when mayor Richard came in to meet with Musgrave. He did indicate that Ms. Musgrave did ask Allen County for financial details about the planned funding to pay the lease payments, and his office did furnish that info. This being the case, I owe Mr. Peters a public apology.
Please let your county councilmen know how you feel about the $55 millon expenditure before their meeting this Thursday!
Paul G. Moss
Roy A. Buskirk
Paula S. Hughes
Maye L. Johnson %of Allen County Auditor’s
Patt L. Kite Office
Cal S. Miller 1 E. Main St., Room 102
Darren E. Vogt Fort Wayne, 46802
Telephone 260-449-3155
Fax 260-449-7679
Right, John, my statement was somewhat rhetorical. I do understand who designates truck routes. But regardless of whether Maplecrest would become officially classified as a truck route, the conditions along the street (narrow streets with homes, lots of stop lights and shopping traffic) make it undesirable from a trucker’s point of view.
Ms. Goldner,
I have to agree to some degree with you but not in total. The “dark hours” of the day will make using the route for truck traffic ideal. With demand triggered stop lights that traffic using the Maplecrest from say around 11 at night until 6 in the morning the ideal short cut route.
The noise of these trucks will provide the residents a calm night of sleep.
The other thing is all of sudden there is going to be spot zoning of commerical properties on Maplecrest, like that has happened along East State St.
I would love the county council to request the companies that prepared this bag of crap to come to their meeting and explain the contents. How they got to the numbers they got to.
Then again HWI needs a new headquarters, needs someone to buy their old property, and needs tax abatements on the new place. What better gift then to put a highway right through their parking lot. One has to wonder how much of the 55 million bucks is for purchasing HWI property and so forth?
Oh well, I am a dumb taxpayer who has no clue. I just wish I was as smart of the people who know how to spend all my money before I even get it. I can only dream……
JQ,
The only way to vote Nelson out is if somebody actually runs against him. Right now nobody’s decided to do that. If somebody out there would like to step up and run against him then I would suggest you contact Mike Bynum at Democratic party HQ…
JQ, I see your point about the night-time hours.
However, the larger question remains: what development would occur with the bridge that would not happen anyway?
I am usually in favor of infrastructure but I am really having trouble seeing this one.
Karen - I agree completely. The Adams Center road corridor is already a prime location for industry, with easy access to 469. A bridge to a mature Maplecrest residential / retail area is not going to do anything. I think this whole thing may boil down to what was promised to Walmart, which I understand is planned for the corner of Adams Center and 930.
Great - just what we need - another Walmart. When will this unending build-out into the rural areas be subject to some sort of control?
The heart of Fort Wayne will continue to struggle as long as our representatives do not have the guts to restrict development and say not to the developers and construction companies.
Ms. Goldner, we are in agreement on your last statement.
I for one do not believe this is being done for WalMart. WalMart may get a bang out of it but I do not believe they much care. If it happens, they will build. If it does not then they will not build.
I believe HWI, and Kenny (I really messed up the GOP Party) (I put money in my pocket by acting as a middle man for my good buddy the Sheriff). Plus a couple of others but I am not sure they much care if Maplecrest gets built or not.
Why doesn’t someone look at the 55 million dollar budget and see what the county will be paying to secure land and whose land is it? What deal is being made with current property owners to obtain their property? What is going to happen to the current property owners?
You people still have not figured out that when major flooding takes place in Fort Wayne this great design is going to hold up more water then the current open space does. Oh wait, we will buy up some more homes or build bigger and taller walls.
Maybe the people right at Theme and Berry St will be forced to sell their homes to the city. Oh well, it is for the good of us all….
Before everyone decides this is a great Do-It-Best conspiracy, I should say that the company was not originally in the loop on this project. In an all-too-common scenario, the people drawing the lines on maps didn’t have a lot of communication with the people who own the land underneath the lines. Do-It-Best and Bob Taylor worked with the county to make the plans work so as to allow the project. That is the kind of corporate citizen we want in our community.
Does the project make sense? That is the open question and the one that needs to be discussed. But for anyone to think that a company can hardly wait until a Great Big Bridge cuts its employee parking lot in half - that is simply not the case.
Let’s do it best and not build it through the middle of the Biosolids Handling Facility:)
J.Q.
Don’t worry, I would fight to the end to keep my home. I will never sell my home, and I doubt the City can make a valid argument for eminent domain. I have opposed the City’s plans to keep building levees, berms, and walls from day one.
I will say this again, every time you take away floodwater storage space (in whatewver manner) or restrict the floodway, you simply shove the problem in someone else’s direction.
But let’s face it, short-term and short-sighted plans look better to the citizens who want something done immediately.
Charlotte,
I find the ENTIRE WEST CENTRAL area to be a thing of charm. I to would hate to see them purchase homes in the area to tear down because of flooding.
However, as southern Allen County, Adams County and parts of Ohio develop means more hard surfaces areas and more water dumped into the St. Mary’s water shed in a quicker fashion. One only needs to look at the Spy Run water shed to understand how poorly government has done in run off water control.
The thing is the City of Fort Wayne has done nothing to repair the dam at Anthony and Berry. With the dam in the down position they can not lower the water level of St. Mary’s or St. Joseph. By having a dam working they could lower the max. level crest of high water events by a foot or so. One has to wonder how much money this would save the city in dike building? Plus how many homes may be saved from flooding?
Speaking of that area there are two other points the City could do in reliving high water levels. Back in the 50’s & 60’s there was no sediment build up just east of Anthony at the bridge, on the north side of the river. Now it is over grown with trees that only hold water from running on down stream on the Maumee River.
One would think clearing the trees would be an ideal project for imates at the Allen County Jail.
Then just back upstream of the dam you have a thumb of property that was a junk yard years ago. At some time dirt was pushed from the junk yard area to form a wall to keep the Maumee River from flooding the area. The wall should be removed and allow for the high water to flow more quickly down the Maumee.
Yes the fix is in! Just what fix is it remains the only question.
Ms. Goldner,
If what you say is true. Then whoever made that error is like a heart doctor doing a bypass operation on a heart patient and not remembering to hook up an artery. Look at the county GIS map.
So I ask what is going to happen to HWI since their parking lot is going to become an interchange?
If people do research back when the 469 project was in concept phase there was a great deal of talk about the costly interchanges for Paulding and Tillman Roads. They did not warrent interchanges. However, it was sold that both be put in because of economic development of the area which included Adams Center Road industrial area.
Look at the Allen County GIS map and you will see what improving Paulding Road or Tillman Road would cost a fraction of what extending Maplecrest will cost.
Four costly bridges are proposed for Maplecrest Extd. and yet the county is trying to get out taking care of them!
No one has taken on subject of building this road right across a major flood area of the Maumee River. This area (not counting River Haven) has no homes or business located in it. Why? Becuase it floods. Now we want to build an “at grade” road across most of it.
Also the report that the county had completed claim back in the 1960’s the 469 project was discussed. Hello people, if you believe that one I have condo for sale in downtown Fort Wayne for $1,000,000 and it has a great view of a baseball park!