Harley-Davidson of Indianapolis is planning to build a new dealership building in Fishers near 126th Street and Reynolds Drive, just east of State Road 37.  The motorcycle establishment is asking for a zoning variance at the November 16th meeting of the Fishers Board of Zoning Appeals.

A 43,000 square foot Harley-Davidson dealership is planned for the site, with two other plots of adjacent land included for future development.

Along with planned improvements on State Road 37, the city will be changing the Reynolds Drive entrance onto 126th Street into a right-in/right-out entrance and extend Parkside Drive south of 126th Street.  This is expected to ease the problem of vehicle backups on Reynolds Drive during busy traffic hours, by connecting Reynolds Drive to the Parkside Drive extension.

The petitioner is Donna Dellen.

The Hamilton Southeastern School Board election is now history…..here are some previous podcast sound bites from the winning candidates…

The new work week begins Monday, November 14th, and a number of road construction projects continue around Fishers.

Below is a listing of what is continuing, based on information provided by the city:

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CUMBERLAND ROAD

• There will be periodic lane restrictions the week of November 14th on southbound Cumberland Road at the entrance of Bradford Knoll for utility work.
• There will be periodic lane restrictions on northbound Cumberland Road at the entrance of Spyglass Hill for utility work.

EXIIT FIVE PARKWAY

Exit Five Parkway closed on Tuesday, September 6 to reconstruct the road as part of the 116th Street widening project. The road remains closed to all traffic. Trucks needing to deliver to businesses will need to go up to Cumberland Road to Exit Five Parkway and come in from the north. The road will be closed for approximately two months, and a detour map is available online.

I-69 AND CAMPUS PARKWAY

Milestone Contractors has begun mobilizing cranes and other equipment and setting a temporary concrete barrier wall along I-69 at Campus Parkway Exit 210. Work will require alternating lane closures on northbound and southbound I-69 between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Lane closures may recur each night through the end of the week depending on weather and progress. Questions about this project should be directed to INDOT at eastcentralin@indot.in.gov or 1-855-463-6848.

I-69 TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS

INDOT is overseeing an overnight closure on multiple traffic lanes on I-69 overnight this week. Weather permitting, lane closures, traffic changes and rolling slowdowns of traffic will begin after 9 p.m. and are expected to end before 6 a.m. the next day. Construction schedules and traffic restrictions are subject to change, and questions should be directed to INDOT at indot.carsprogram.org, 1-800-261-ROAD (7623) or 511 from a mobile phone. Please drive with caution as a new traffic pattern is in place.

OAK DRIVE

Oak Drive south of 116th Street has closed for 50 days while the new road is being constructed. Through traffic will need to use USA Parkway.

106^th STREET & CUMBERLAND ROAD ROUNDABOUT

The new roundabout at 106^th Street and Cumberland Road is now open to traffic. Motorists are encouraged to drive with caution, this site is still an active construction zone.

106th STREET INTERCHANGE

INDOT has begun work on the 106th Street interchange. A lane shift is currently in place on I-69 and 106th Street is closed as construction continues. Additional details about this project will be released through INDOT and shared on the weekly construction update. Please be advised the speed limit from 82nd Street to 116th Street has been reduced to 55 mph and there are lane shifts on I-69. Please travel with caution and pay close attention to signage in the area.

116th STREET

• There will be temporary lane restrictions on eastbound 116th Street just west of Olio Road for utility work.
• There will be temporary lane restrictions on westbound 116th Street east of Cumberland Road for utility work.
• There will be daytime and nighttime lane restrictions on 116th Street between Commercial Drive and Exit Five Parkway while road work is being completed.

126th STREET

There may be temporary lane restrictions on 126th Street between Allisonville Road and Lantern Road while shoulder work is being completed.

Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Superintendent Allen Bourff proposed a facilities plan to the school board, which includes the construction of a new elementary school building next to HSE Intermediate / Junior High on Cyntheanne Road, along with an extensive maintenance schedule for school buildings.  The plan also includes a renovation and expansion of the school administration building.

The plan was approved by the board 7-0, but the move only allows planning to continue. The board has not given any final approval to any part of the plan.

The administration proposal includes managing the school district’s debt load and keeping the debt tax rate constant while this work is being funded.

To review the presentation given to the board by Dr. Bourff, access this link.  To see the reasons a new elementary building is being proposed , use this link.

In another board action, approval was given to submit a letter to state lawmakers on behalf of the board asking that the general assembly allow educators to be involved in any new testing regime to replace ISTEP.  You can read the letter at this link.

Finally, three teachers in the HSE district were honored by the board Wednesday night.  Kelly Watson of Fishers Junior High traveled to Cambodia to conduct teacher training.  Mike Fassold, also from Fishers Junior High, was named 2016 University of Chicago Outstanding Educator.  Holly Miller of Riverside Intermediate is a 2016 Mike Neden STEM Champion Award.  You can see more at this link.

217  of 217  Precincts reporting (county-wide)

FALL CREEK TOWNSHIP

Mike Bottorff                            14,797                                      40.79%

J. Kent Everett                         6,721                                            8.53%

Howard Stevenson                14,756                                        40.68%

DELAWARE TOWNSHIP

Adam Harness                       5,770                                               16.18%

Bradley Jones                        5,627                                                15.78%

Amanda Shera                      14,014                                               39.30%

Frank Whelan                        10,247                                               28.74%

WAYNE TOWNSHIP

Sylvia Shepler                       21,009                                                 59.91%

Charron Wright                     14,056                                                 40.09%

Fishers Police are continuing to investigate a pedestrian struck and injured by a vehicle Saturday night on Olio Road.

The details are contained in the news release below from police officials:

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Fishers police are investigating a crash that occurred on Saturday evening in the 11700 Block of Olio Road.

The Nickel Plate District in Downtown Fishers has a reputation of being a little different, and you will find something there you will not find in most other cities: artwork on the traffic signal boxes.   Above you will find a map of where these signal boxes are located.  At the end of the reprinted news release below you will find a link with examples of the artwork.

Below is the news release announcing the project:

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The Fishers Arts Council and City of Fishers selected three Indiana artists to paint a series of six signal boxes in the Nickel Plate Arts District representing the city’s vision of a smart, entrepreneurial and vibrant community. Artists William Denton Ray and Marc Anderson from Indianapolis, and Fishers’ artist Jacque Hammonds began prepping and painting the signal boxes late last week.

Their original designs will be painted directly on utility boxes along 116^th Street and Commercial Drive. After being sealed with a graffiti-resistant coating, the artwork should last up to three years. All six pieces should be completed next week, weather dependent.

“The city partnered with the Fishers Arts Council two years ago to develop a Community Master Art Plan that better defines public spaces through public art installations,” said Lisa Vielee, president of the Fishers Arts Council.

This is the third public art installation as part of the Fishers Community Master Art Plan. The first, “INvisible Art” by Jessica Springman, was installed this summer on the sidewalks surrounding the Central Green using hydrophobic paint. The second installation is a series of banners on The Edge parking garage. The first set of seven banners, titled “Pursuing Innovation” by Rachel Johnson, was unveiled last week.

“Not only do these art installations interpret the entrepreneurial spirit and iconic elements of our community, they add vibrancy and a sense of discovery to the District,” added Vielee.

The signal box designs selected and their locations include:

• “Blue Balloons” by Marc Anderson—116th Street and Holland Drive
• “Birds (Watching Them Watching Us)” by William Denton Ray—116th Street and Regency Drive
• “Straight-On Monon,” by Jacque Hammonds—116th Street and Municipal Drive
• “Red Bikes” by Marc Anderson—116th Street and Lantern Road
• “Mille Bornes” by Jacque Hammonds—Commercial Drive and North Street
• “Face the Music” by William Denton Ray—Commercial Drive and Lantern Road

The artists were selected by a committee comprised of representatives from the Fishers Arts Council, the City of Fishers, the Fishers City Council, and Nickel Plate Arts. Each artist was chosen for his or her technical and artistic ability, experience working with local municipalities, and for demonstrating an understanding of the personality of the Nickel Plate District.

The Nickel Plate District in Fishers has experienced robust development in recent years. This growth includes mixed- use developments, offices, residential units, restaurants and retail uses. In addition to the high volume of pedestrian and cyclist traffic, 32,000 vehicles pass through the district daily.

About the Fishers Arts Council
Fishers Arts Council is the leading arts organization in the City of Fishers, Indiana. It partners with local organizations, artists, performers, students, and businesses for arts and cultural occasions that enhance our vibrant city. Run entirely by volunteers, the Fishers Arts Council envisions the arts as a genuine reflection of our community’s value and diversity, woven into the daily community life of the city. Find out more at fishersartscouncil.com.

See examples of the art at the link below.

fac-signal-box-art-2016-1

Those of us living in Central Indiana have endured a bombardment of political advertising.  This is not just happening on television, it’s also everywhere you go online.

It’s easy to tune out all campaigning because we have so many offices at stake.  The polsters measuring such things tell us voters have the highest negative views of both major party presidential candidates in the history of scientific polling.

Keep in mind that there are many other offices up for election this cycle.  County offices are on the ballot, along with members of the Indiana General Assembly, governor, state attorney general and United State Senate.  Just because you may have soured on the top race involving presidential candidates, keep in mind these other offices will have an impact on your life for the coming four years.

There are three county council seats on the ballot, and even if you vote a straight party ticket, you must still select county council candidates individually….for some reason, your straight party vote will not register for that office.

I don’t want to beat a dead horse on this, but your school board election is one of the most important.  For people living in Fishers, and some of the outlying rural areas, you will be voting on Hamilton Southeastern candidates from all three townships.  I recorded podcast interviews will all 9 school board candidates, and, so far, there have  been over 740 plays of all the 9 podcasts total.  For a local set of podcasts, that is a high number.  It tells me people are tuned-in to the local school board election.  That’s a good thing.  Just remember that the school board election is toward the end of the voting process.  Don’t skip over it as you record your vote.

I have covered just about all levels of government in Indiana, first during the 1970s into 1983, then the last four years covering Fishers in this news blog.  One theme always rings true – it makes a difference when you cast your vote.  These office holders will be making decisions impacting your day-to-day life.

Bottom line, your vote makes a difference…a big difference.  We have had past elections in the old town of Fishers decided by margins as small as 4 votes.

The long lines at the early voting venues in Hamilton County illustrate that people care about this election.  That’s a good thing. but the local election board needs to look into expanding the early voting venues and finding ways to shorten the wait times for future balloting.

I plan to be in Noblesville n election night to cover results of our local school board election.  I also have an early morning commitment on Wednesday, so if things go really late (and they may) I will have to retire early and post final results early Wednesday morning.

I’m still in catch-up mode after being out of town a few days.  While I was away, Fishers had a very serious traffic accident on Brook School Road during the morning rush hour of November 2nd.  The take-away for me is this:  we are a growing suburban city with a lot of 2-lane roads.  When driving, be careful out there.

Also, the new Kroger store on Olio Road (read more at this link) is making progress and the grocer is touting what they describe as “a new business model.”  After the Fishers Town Council originally did not support the new, expanded store, Kroger began meeting with residents in the area and slowly moved many of them to support the new concept on Olio Road.  Over time, the city went along with Kroger and the new facility will soon be complete.

Finally, there is more this month to promote the mental health stigma-free campaign.  If you suffer from heart disease, your friends and family will sympathize and encourage you to get medical treatment.  If you suffer from a medical condition related to mental health, too often the stigmatization of mental health prevents people from seeking the treatment needed.  Do your part in removing the unfair stigma often tied to mental health conditions.

Monday, November 7th, starts a new work week….and with that, more road construction around Fishers.

Below is the latest list of projects as provided by the City of Fishers:

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