June 8 – GFL Rolls Out Fort Wayne Garbage Collection Marketing Plan | fwbusiness
When the Fort Wayne City Council decided on a new waste hauler earlier this year, Councilwoman Michelle Chambers, D-at Large, insisted that GFL, the new provider, come up with a comprehensive marketing plan.
She got her wish, and on June 7, at the regular council meeting, she updated the other council members on GFL’s plans.
The company is running public service ads on radio and television, as well as implementing an aggressive social media campaign, Chambers said.
Company representatives will also be present at neighborhood partnership meetings.
The City of Fort Wayne also has a website with lots of information ranging from pick up days to how loose items will be handled. The website, cityoffortwayne.org/solidwaste, can be translated into two other languages: Spanish and Burmese.
GFL begins service in the city on July 1.
Pending rezoning requests
The city council has not approved two rezoning applications for 202 acres that the owner would like to turn into a mixed-use development.
However, the project is not yet dead. The final vote will take place on June 14. At the June 7 meeting, three council members were absent, and Councilman Russ Jehl, R-2nd, abstained but said he planned to vote the following week.
The property is located in blocks 9000 to 9100 of North Clinton Street which extends to the St. Joseph River. There are actually two rezonings: 138 acres from AR/Low Intensity Residential to RP/Planned Residential; and 64 acres of AR/Low Intensity Residential at NC/Neighborhood Center.
Both rezonings were unanimously approved by the Planning Commission. The development will be called Arneo and the owner is local restaurateur James Khan.
Three people spoke in favor of the project and three opposed it during a public hearing on May 9. Councilor Tom Freistroffer, R-at large, said: “The biggest concern is traffic.” Plans to improve Clinton are still several years down the road.
Another concern is the hunting ground adjacent to Khan’s property. It is considered a designated hunting ground and permission to hunt there is granted at certain times to control the deer population. This is of particular concern because the property is so close to highways, making it a hazard to motorists who might run into a deer.
Former Councilman John Crawford, who owns adjacent land, opposes the development, also due to concerns about traffic hazards on Clinton.
He also cited security issues with hunting taking place so close to homes. Crawford said the range of a high-powered deer gun is 1,000 yards. He said children playing in their own backyards could potentially be hit by a misdirected shot or a ricochet.
The issue will likely go to a final vote at the June 14 city council meeting beginning at 5:30 p.m. in Room 35, Citizens Square Garden Level, 200 E. Berry St.
