A look at KeyBank located at 119 E. Center St., Warsaw. The Warsaw Traffic Safety Commission approved at its Wednesday, July 7, meeting adding 15-minute and handicapped parking to the corner of the bank at Center and Indiana streets. InkFreeNews photo by Leah Sander.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — Customers of KeyBank in Warsaw may be able to use some additional parking options in the future.

At its meeting on Wednesday, July 7, the Warsaw Traffic Safety Commission approved creating handicapped and 15-minute parking spaces on the northwest corner of Center and Indiana streets. Their approval is only a recommendation to the Warsaw City Council, who has the final say.

KeyBank Warsaw Branch Manager Yolanda Hedington attended Wednesday’s meeting to make the request.

“Since the pandemic, I guess it made us aware of some of the needs maybe that we had and we realized that there really isn’t a whole lot of dedicated parking around that city block,” she said. “So on Indiana the first one there I would like to see if we could consider that as handicapped parking. Center, I have parked on it and it’s very busy, so I really don’t want that one to be the handicapped, but I would like to see that one maybe become a 15-minute only because we’ve got Mad Anthony’s that we share the block with that they could probably benefit from that as well for quick pickup orders.”

“We have a lot of customers that come in by taxi, that would help expedite it if we could get them in and out,” she continued. “And then we have a lot of customers who come in to make quick deposits or quick change in and out, that’d be nice if we could maybe have that as a 15-minute parking for easy in and out.”

Commission Member and Warsaw City Councilwoman Cindy Dobbins said she thought putting in 15-minute parking could help not only KeyBank patrons, but also others running quick errands at other businesses in the area.

Commission Member and Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer asked Commission Member and Warsaw Police Capt. Joel Beam about how the 15-minute parking would be enforced.

“It would be difficult to enforce,” noted Beam. That’s due to the time it takes for parking enforcement to make its rounds around town, he said.

Hedington said people might naturally limit their parking time in the 15-minute area due to seeing a sign there.

Thallemer also asked Hedington if the parking on the side of Indiana Street was normally full. She said it is pretty busy.

Grubbs inquired about the need for handicapped parking to which Hedington replied the need is great.

The commission approved her requests.

Fort Wayne and Maple

The commission also discussed a request from a resident regarding parked vehicles impeding drivers’ vision at Fort Wayne Street and Maple Avenue.

The problem is with drivers being unable to see when they are heading southbound across Fort Wayne Street.

“It does obstruct to a certain point,” said Grubbs, who has driven through that area.

Ultimately, the commission decided to table the decision for the time being. The commission will look at standards for parking in similar situations before possibly deciding to change the parking there.

In other business, the commission also:

• Tabled making a decision regarding a request by a resident who lives at North Union Street until more research can be done.

The resident has been having an issue with people visiting his neighbors across the street and parking for days along the side of his house on West Porter Street. That causes issues with him being able to do his yardwork, he said. He added his neighbor’s guests have elsewhere they can park.

Their parking there also adds to visibility problems with driving in the area, he said.

• Heard from Thallemer that the city plans to meet with the Indiana Department of Transportation next week related to getting timing issues fixed with the new traffic lights at Center and Market streets.

“And we’re also asking for INDOT to work with the railroad to repave the crossings. The crossings are in deplorable condition and I know that’s contributing to the angst,” he said.

• Heard from Thallemer an update on planned work on SR 15.

He informed the commission of the work at its last meeting in June, but said at Wednesday’s meeting that the project was unable to be done already as planned due to rainy weather.

The project will shut down SR 15 at the railroad crossing south of Little Crow Lofts for five days. Thallemer said the city asked to have the work completed before the start of school.

He also said the project will now take place over five weekdays instead of two days over the weekend and three weekdays. The city had requested the latter due to it not shutting down that section of road for a full workweek.

The commission’s next meeting is 1 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 4, at Warsaw City Hall.