The night of January 24 was a proud moment for me – to watch all members present from the Noblesville Common Council, after a thoughtful discussion, vote to approve funding for the initial design work on the Pleasant Street expansion.
Their unanimous vote followed a great deal of work on the part of Mayor Ditslear’s administration to study the alternatives, talk with residents, educate the Council and other community leaders on why the City was recommending Pleasant Street as the best route – and then work as a team to move this project forward that has been in the making for more than two decades.
Anyone who suggests this effort is due to one person’s work doesn’t understand the concept of teamwork. So I thank everyone who helped us get this far, including the administrations, staffs, commissions and councils from both the city and county dating back to the early 1990s.
At last, the idea of a new east-west corridor is not so distant a concept. One day soon, we may be traveling across town from Pleasant Street starting at Hague Road and State Road 32 – all the way across the White River on a new county bridge – into Old Town or out to State Road 37 and beyond.
And we might be doing so by car, bicycle or on foot thanks to the convergence of the future Midland Trace Trail that is planned to run adjacent to Pleasant Street.
I can certainly understand the concerns of some residents who are worried about the impact of this project on their neighborhood. Whether you support expanding Pleasant Street or not, I think we can all agree that moving to the design phase is a good thing. As Mayor Ditslear said, without it, “we’re unable to make any decisions about the potential route, which leaves our residents in limbo. We owe it to them to move forward.”
But we will do so with caution. Earlier on January 24, I met with City Engineer John Beery and two other professionals: David Heighway, our foremost expert on Hamilton County history, and Mark Dollase, vice president of preservation services at Indiana Landmarks.
Together, we drove the corridor for a windshield tour that gave me a chance to learn from these experts. I appreciated their input on the historical and cultural significance of the neighborhoods that Pleasant Street crosses through – and we will continue to incorporate this kind of input.
I look forward to a future public meeting when the initial design work is completed, which I believe will help clear up some concerns. Rather than merely talk about it, we will be able to show designs of a 3-4 lane, low-speed urban roadway that will include lighted intersections and/or roundabouts.
The City is committed to working collaboratively to minimize the risks to our heritage, find affordable housing options for residents who may become displaced and incorporate progressive design standards that ensure public safety for multimodal transportation.
Our goal for this project is to improve traffic flow within the city, but our greater hope is to revitalize this corridor so that the “historical significance” is not lost to the ravages of time and neglect. We believe the transformative effect of Pleasant Street will lead to even greater improvements for Noblesville and our community of 60,000 – and the residents within this specific area.
The City is still working to launch a new e-newsletter that will help keep residents informed on the progress of Pleasant Street and other projects. If you’re interested in signing up to receive this e-newsletter, please e-mail MakingMoves@noblesville.in.us.
Until next time, see you on the square.