The Journal Gazette, 600 W. Main St., Fort Wayne IN

Downtown residents, business people and fans want to keep the charm of Calhoun Street.

Tuesday’s City Council meeting turned into an impromptu public hearing regarding the city’s $1 million plan to convert Calhoun – between Washington Boulevard and Berry Street – from a one-way northbound route to allow two-way traffic.

In June 2006, the City Council voted 8-1 to change those blocks of Calhoun.

Reversing that change would give motorists an extra north-south route through downtown to compensate them for losing Harrison Street five years ago to Grand Wayne Center’s expansion and Webster Street for the expansion of the Allen County Public Library.

Noel Cox, board member of The Friends of the Parks of Allen County, shared the group’s opposition to the new plan. He said that plan was created in private, when local stakeholders should have been involved. Changing the street would also diminish a downtown asset, he said.

“We believe this project is an unnecessary expenditure of public funds,” Cox said. “This is especially so when after spending public money, public value is destroyed.”

While the opponents had some concerns about the necessity of making Calhoun two-way, they were most bothered by the city’s plans to rip up some of the sidewalk and replace the street-side trees. To make room for delivery trucks, the city plans to eliminate part of the sidewalk on each side of Calhoun. Trees and planters then would be replaced by other trees and amenities.

The city previously has argued that many of the trees have to be removed regardless of the project because they have outgrown their space. The new streetscape would allow a greater growth area for the trees, allowing them to grow more quickly. The new plans would place them closer to the curb, maintaining or increasing the amount of usable sidewalk space on both sides, city officials said.

Jim Sack, a project opponent, presented a petition with more than 250 signatures of people who want to leave Calhoun as it is.

“They feel that street is one of the nicest in Fort Wayne, and they don’t want it destroyed,” he said.

Mac Parker, a longtime downtown attorney, also criticized the project because of concerns about removing the trees that add to the ambience of the street. He also said that because traffic routes have proven adequate to handle events at Parkview Field, another north-south route isn’t necessary.

If the city wants to make Calhoun two-way, it should change it for a short-term trial before making a major investment, Parker said.

The council introduced an ordinance to hire Hips- kind Concrete to complete the project but won’t debate the issue until at least next week.

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