Plan approved

REDKEY — A downtown revitalization plan is in place.

Redkey Town Council on Thursday approved its downtown revitalization plan after a presentation from Ken Remenschneider of design consulting firm Kimley-Horn. It had already been approved by Indiana’s Office of Community and Rural Affairs.

Council also passed a resolution in support of a tax abatement for the Bitter Ridge Wind Farm project.

Remenschneider and Jay County community development director Ami Huffman presented council with the revitalization plan, which sets goals of creating a supportive environment for entrepreneurs and restoring existing buildings.

To that end, the plan recommends focusing on the area of High Street between Meridian Street (Indiana 1) and Railroad Street for both building repairs and a streetscape project. Buildings to be prioritized are the former fire station at the northwest corner of Oak and High streets, the “triangle building” at the southeast corner of High and Union streets, the former Oddfellows building at the northeast corner of High and Union streets, the former Masonic Lodge (134 W. High St.) and two structures to its west.

Remenschneider said the former fire station is a potential site for a microbrewery.

“What we’re looking to do when we make recommendations about how to have a successful downtown is look for what types of investments are going to bring people here who will park their cars and then get them to walk up and down the street and actually walk into more than one venue,” he added.

Another proposal to help revitalize High Street is to create a “living streetscape,” which would involve expanding the sidewalks to make the town more attractive to pedestrian traffic. An artist’s rendering shows a 7-foot-wide “merchant zone” — sidewalk that could also be used for outdoor dining or sales — a 5-foot planter to create a buffer between pedestrians and the street, 8-foot, 6-inch areas for parallel parking and a 20-foot street.

Other suggestions include transforming the old railroad bed into a walking trail, establishing “gateways” into town with signs and planting trees along Meridian Street. The plan also suggests seeking Main Street status, which would open up grant possibilities, and exploring the creation of a tax increment financing (TIF) district.

Remenschneider also shared results from a town survey, including regarding what improvements are desired downtown. The leading item for the 170 respondents was benches (45 percent), with landscaping, sidewalks and Wi-Fi next (all above 30 percent).

Council members Doug Stanley, Mike Wright, Red Coons and Dave Dudelston, absent Ted Friddle, approved the plan, which was funded by a $30,000 OCRA grant with the town providing a $3,500 match.

As a supplement to the plan, Kimley-Horn also produced a marketing/branding plan to help draw visitors to Redkey.

The plan does not lock the town into any projects, but rather serves as a roadmap for the future. Having such a plan on file with the state is also a requirement for a variety of grants that could help the town pay for downtown improvements.

“We’re sitting on a goldmine down there that we don’t realize we have,” said Redkey resident Mark Leavell. “The architecture there, the momentum that’s already started there, I think is something that we lose sight of because we’ve seen (the buildings) empty for so long. …

“I think this is a great thing. It’s a great jump start for what has potential to not only revitalize downtown but revitalize Redkey as a whole.”

Council also voted 3-1, with Coons against, to approve a resolution in support of a tax abatement for the Bitter Ridge project, for which developer Scout Clean Energy is seeking a tax abatement. Scout’s original application was denied by Jay County Council in May, and the company has made changes and reapplied.

Pete Endres of Scout presented council with the new details about the abatement, which had already been made public at several other area meetings. If the abatement is approved, a corresponding economic development agreement would result in a total of $1.56 million in economic development funds for the county to be paid out of the course of four years. The first year of payments would be earmarked, with $90,000 going to Redkey. Jay School Corporation would receive $250,000, and each of the other municipalities in the county would get $10,000 each.

Redkey is the municipality closest to the Bitter Ridge project, which would involved 52 turbines construction south of Indiana 67 in Jefferson and Richland townships.

“I think the wind farm’s a good thing,” said Wright. “I thought you got a bad deal with being turned down on the abatement the first time. I don’t see how the county can afford to turn all that money down.”

The abatement is expected to save Scout about $4.3 million in taxes. It would pay an estimated $13.7 in property taxes over the 25-year life of the facility.

A public hearing on the tax abatement request is scheduled fro 6 p.m. Sept. 12 in the Jay County Courthouse auditorium.

In other business, council:

•Scheduled an executive session for 6 p.m. Wednesday to discuss a dispute with a contractor about the sewer/wastewater treatment plan project. A special meeting will follow at 7 p.m.

•Decided the east-west alley north of Main Street should be made one way, going east, between Sycamore and Walnut streets in order to prevent traffic problems at Redkey Elementary School. Council members will need to vote on an ordinance at a future meeting to make the change official.

•Approved the following: Closing High Street as needed for the Gas Boom Days festival Saturday; a total of $5,640 for the installation of fence gates at the water and wastewater treatment plants; the hiring of Michael Theurer as a police officer on a 3-1 vote with Coons in opposition; claims totaling $44,813.80 for the sewer/wastewater project; and a donation of $400 for A Better Life – Brianna’s Hope.

•Heard fall clean-up is scheduled for Sept. 27.

•Learned that help is needed for a Second Harvest Food Bank food distribution that is held from 4 to 7 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month at Redkey Elementary. Council members said they would seek assistance from local service organizations.

•Heard a proposal from Friddle, presented by Coons, to install speed bumps on some town streets. The proposal was tabled until Friddle can make his case, but the remaining council members were skeptical of the idea.

•Discussed the lack of street signs at two dozen intersections in town. Huffman said she would be on the lookout for grants that could help pay for new signs.

•Heard a complaint about water/trash bills from Randy May, who suggested allowing residents to receive more than one bill adjustment annually.

•Approved four water bill adjustments and rejected one because it involved an outdoor faucet.

•Heard Dudelston express his opinion that work orders be signed by whoever is requesting the work. He said some orders that he had no part in had been designated as being from the town council.

•Paid claims totaling $250,249.79.