Locals surrounding the Fort Wayne, Indiana assembly have voiced concerns over General Motors’ move to open a new entrance at the assembly plant, affecting Winters Road and local residents.
The entrance has long been unused, but with a massive plant expansion inbound, the facility has decided to reopen the entrance for employees. Locals fear the once quiet road may succumb to traffic jams during three shifts of production, according to The Gazette Journal.
Citizens became even more upset after learning there was nothing they could do, noting that since the change occurs on GM property, it technically does not have a hand with public officials.
The road in question “was a road built for GM for their use years ago, and they’re now at a point to take advantage of it,” Bill Hartman, director of the Allen County Highway Department, said. He also stated the entrance did not require public notice.
Still, citizens remain skeptical even after having evidence presented.
“We kind of feel like they have pushed us aside, like we have no right to say anything. … It doesn’t seem fair.” Lynn Doak, a local resident, summed things up with.
Comments
Hello Sean,
I would like to clarify for your readers some of the false information within your article. I’m sure you unknowingly wrote.
You wrote, “The entrance has long been unused, but with a massive plant expansion inbound, the facility has decided to reopen the entrance for employees. Locals fear the once quiet road may succumb to traffic jams during three shifts of production, according to The Gazette Journal.”
Clarification: General Motors is not re-opening an entrance as there has never been an entrance located off Winters Rd. The gate that was installed on the east end of the road where the “proposed” entrance will be located was installed last year.
You wrote, “The road in question “was a road built for GM for their use years ago, and they’re now at a point to take advantage of it,” Bill Hartman, director of the Allen County Highway Department, said. He also stated the entrance did not require public notice.”
Clarification: Winters Rd. is actually a county road it was originally gravel like all of the other sections of Winters Rd still are to this day. (Winters rd. is divided multiple times i.e. fog well or I-69) After GM was built, the road was paved and has been used all along for test driving vehicles. Although GM had everything to do with the road being paved it had nothing to do with the road being placed there… as it was preexisting to the construction of the plant. So were some of the homes along Winters Rd.
If you need any more factual information please contact Lynn at [email protected]
Could not agree more. It’s too bad that big corporations can do as they please, without any consideration of the families that live on the street. Would they want their children living on a street that has 1500 factory employees coming and going daily?
How does that saying go…..Doing the right thing when no one is looking is called integrity!
The road was built for GM use years ago? So, why do we now as taxpayers get to pay an additional 4.6million in order for them to use it? That sounds to me that the intended use years ago, actually I believe I was told 30 years ago, wasn’t for this purpose, right? They don’t want their employees using the existing entrance that the delivery vehicles use but it will be ok for children and families on Winters Road to be exposed to 1500 racing cars a day up and down Winters Road?
GM has been a blessing to Fort Wayne. Our family was born and raised here and started a business here in Fort Wayne. Can’t imagine how different life would be for so many with out GM’s presence.