Association “Hoedown” Block Party: July 28, 2019
All Southwood Park residents are invited!
Rudisill-Broadway Closure Begins Monday
Fort Wayne City Utilities issued this news release today:
Fort Wayne, Ind. — Work to protect our rivers from Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) is underway throughout the City, and next week a new phase to protect the St. Marys, near Foster Park, will begin. To accommodate the construction of a consolidation sewer the intersection of Rudisill Boulevard and Broadway will close beginning Monday, July 8, 2019. Motorists approaching Broadway from Bluffton Road will only be able to turn north. The closure is expected to be in place for up to ten months.
Because this is a significant intersection that connects to multiple parts of the City, two detour routes will be in place. Thru traffic, those who use the intersection to connect to southwest Fort Wayne, Waynedale or US 27, are encouraged to avoid the area altogether. Signs for the thru traffic detour will be at, Taylor Street, Clinton Street, Covington Road, Engle Road, Bluffton Road, Lower Huntington Road, Tillman Road and US 27/Lafayette Street.
For those motorists who live or are doing business in the area, a local detour route will include Broadway and Creighton and Fairfield Avenue. Foster Park will remain open, but will only be accessible from the south.
City Utilities asks that motorists allow extra time when traveling through the area and observe detour and speed limit signs.
A consolidation sewer is a near-surface sewer that collects or consolidates the flow from existing sewer pipes, and at this location will convey the flow to the Three Rivers Protection and Overflow Tunnel (3RPORT). The consolidation pipes that will be constructed at Rudisill and Broadway will collect combined sewage (sanitary and stormwater) from a 126-inch pipe under Rudisill and a 30-inch pipe that comes in from the south to this intersection.
The consolidation sewer is an essential project in efforts to protect our rivers. This location is the most significant CSO point within the City’s river system. An average of 392 million gallons of combined sewage is dumped into the St. Marys at this location, each year.
Residents can find more information and updates about the Rudisill Consolidation Sewer project at: https://www.cityoffortwayne.org/rudisill-consolidation-sewer.html
Work to Protect the St. Marys River Moves Forward – – – Road Closure Coming Soon to Rudisill & Broadway Intersection
Here is a Press release from Fort Wayne City Utilities:
For release: Tuesday, June 25, 2019
Work to Protect the St. Marys River Moves Foward
Road Closure Coming Soon to Rudisill & Broadway Intersection
Fort Wayne, Ind. — Motorists in the vicinity of the Broadway and Rudisill Boulevard intersection will notice signs this week, alerting them about an upcoming road closure. The intersection will be closed to accommodate construction of the Rudisill Consolidation Sewer, beginning the week of July 8, 2019. The closure is expected to be in place for up to ten months.
A consolidation sewer is a near-surface sewer that collects or consolidates the flow from existing sewer pipes, and at this location will convey the flow to the Three Rivers Protection and Overflow Tunnel (3RPORT). The consolidation pipes that will be constructed at Rudisill and Broadway will collect combined sewage (sanitary and stormwater) from a 126-inch pipe under Rudisill and a 30-inch pipe that comes in from the south to this intersection.
The consolidation sewer is an essential project in efforts to protect our rivers. This location is the largest Combined Sewer Overflow (CSOs) point within the City’s river system. An average of 392 million gallons of combined sewage is dumped into the St. Marys each year. These CSOs occur during wet weather events approximately 72 times a year. This project is part of City Utilities’ 18-year Long Term Control Plan, to protect and clean up our three rivers.
Attached you will find two maps, one for the local detour, for those motorists who live or are doing business in the area, and the other for thru traffic. Foster Park will remain open, but will only be accessible from the south. Access to the park will be marked.
Rudisill-Old Mill Detours to begin July 8, 2019
The City of Fort Wayne hosted a “Meet the Contractor” for the Rudisill Boulevard sewer project on June 10th. Residents had a chance to meet people supervising the project and to ask questions.
WHAT IS THE PROJECT?
The City has an agreement with the federal EPA to reduce the amount and the number of sewage overflows into our rivers. A deep rock tunnel is being to route sewage to the wastewater treatment plant near Memorial Park. The tunnel follows rivers upstream to Foster Park, where the largest combined sewer overflow point is located, and the end of Rudisill Boulevard. The Rudisill sewer is more than ten feet in diameter! Learn more about the tunnel project by following this link: https://www.cityoffortwayne.org/visitors/218-tunnel-project-website.html
A 35’ deep connection between the Rudisill sewer and the deep rock tunnel has to be constructed under the intersection of Rudisill, Old Mill, and Broadway. To do this safely, the road must be closed. It is expected to be closed for at least 300 days, or ten months. Workers will not begin shifts before 7AM. Work days may adjust for available daylight through the seasons.
DETOURS
THE ROAD CLOSURE AND DETOURS ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN JULY 8. Please help minimize the impact to neighbors in our association and surrounding neighborhoods: be courteous and stick to detour routes. There is no magic shortcut.
The marked detour to the Bluffton Road bridge is Fairfield to Creighton to Broadway. We would just remind neighbors of the other ways to reach points across the river: Jefferson Blvd., Taylor St., Hale Ave. and Airport Expressway.
The marked detour to Foster Park and the Foster Park neighborhood is Old Mill to Lexington to Fairfield. The City is planning to make the north side of Lexington Avenue NO PARKING. If you can move your vehicles from the detour route, make the effort. We don’t want to have damage to parked cars. If you live in the southern half of Southwood Park or in Woodhurst, we would suggest using Pettit Avenue to reach Fairfield, the detour route, or other bridges to cross the river.
The City is considering other traffic calming devices like speed humps and added patrols by FWPD. The City wants to hear from neighborhood associations and citizens so it can adjust traffic control if it proves necessary. The City’s project manager is Zack Schaefer and his email is zack.schaefer@cityoffortwayne.org. When the City posts its June 10 presentation online, we will post it here.
Share your thoughts with the association at Southwood_Park@yahoo.com.
HIRING: Pocket Gardener
We need help caring for our lovely pocket gardens! We need someone who can keep them weeded, edged and mulched. Months of work would be March through October.
If you are interested in this as a paid position, please send your proposal to us. Let us know how many hours per month and/or your flat monthly fee for the work. The Association is happy to pay for consumable materials like mulch that would be needed. The gardener would keep in contact with our beautification committee through the gardening year.
Our pocket gardens are the following locations:
Indiana/Rudisill pillars,
Arlington esplanade (4600 block),
South Wayne/Pettit,
Tacoma/Pettit,
Tacoma/Sherwood,
Indiana/Beaver,
Beaver/Westover,
Westover/Old Mill,
Old Mill Roundabout,
and Crestwood/Sunset.
Please send questions and proposals to Southwood_Park@yahoo.com. Please include references.
Thanks,
Historic Southwood Park Board of Directors
May 10th update: DUE TO ONGOING WET WEATHER, WE WILL DELAY DIRT DAY A SECOND TIME TO FRIDAY, MAY 17th.
Every year since 1978, the Association has purchased quality soil for residents to use in their gardens, flower pots, and yards. This is our 41st year helping Southwood Park gardeners! On May 4th, we are having quality tri-mix soil from Felger’s Peat Moss delivered. All you have to do is take your wheelbarrow to the sites and get what you need!
If there is a weather-related delay, we will announce plans here and on Facebook. Several years ago, we pushed the date a week later to avoid Dirt Day from becoming Mud Day. NEW Rain date is May 17th.
There will be three dirt pickup sites:
Indiana Avenue at Maxine Drive
South Wayne Avenue at Maple Grove Avenue
Sunset Drive at Crestwood Drive (the triangular island)
Dirt is for Historic Southwood Park homes only! No dumping. Please take only what you need, and be considerate of other neighbors. Don’t be a “dirt hog!”
Swim Clubs Near Southwood Park
Hot summer weather still seems like a far-off rumor at this point, but it will be here soon. And that means swimming! If you’re new to the neighborhood – or not originally from Fort Wayne – you may not know about swim clubs. What are they?
Photo credit: Pocohontas Swim Club
Decades ago, residents of several neighborhoods banded together to build swim clubs. In 1961, residents of Southwood Park and Indian Village collectively built Pocohontas Pool through memberships. Later on, residents of Avalon and surrounding neighborhoods did the same to build the Avalon Pool.
Fast forward a few decades: the ubiquity of home air conditioning and the internet keep many families indoors during the hot months of the year. Keeping a pool running is a tough job. Volunteers are scarce and competition for entertainment dollars has stretched the ability of their boards to keep them open. Other pools in the area have closed permanently. Poco recently survived a budget scare. Avalon is waiting to see how many subscriptions it gets by April 28 before it decides to open for 2019.
Photo credit: Avalon Summer Sports Club
Historic Southwood Park is lucky to be near two subscription pools. We hope it stays that way! Whether you’re looking for cheap entertainment or exercise opportunities or social interaction, the pools are a great bargain. Please consider spending your entertainment dollars in the neighborhood!
Pocohontas Swim Club, 3020 Ojibway Trail, Fort Wayne, IN 46809
Facebook: @pocopool https://pocopool.org/
Avalon Summer Sports Club, 8021 Durban Drive, Fort Wayne, IN 46819
Facebook: @avalonsummersports www.avalonswim.com
— Steve McCord
