Old Jeffersonville Historic Preservation Plan Set For Public Input
August 8, 2006 – The Ohio River Bridges Project will host a meeting to solicit
public input on the Historic Preservation Plan for the Old Jeffersonville Historic
District. The Downtown Jeffersonville Approach section of the Project directly impacts
the Old Jeffersonville Historic District. The meeting will take place from 6 p.m.
until 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2006 in the Community Room of the McCauley
Nicolas Building at 702 North Shore Drive in Jeffersonville, Ind.
The meeting will feature an open house session from 6 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. to allow
attendees to view visual materials associated with the Historic Preservation Plan
draft. A presentation of the draft will take place at 6:30 p.m. with the remaining
time reserved for discussion, questions and audience response.
“The consultants, with input from the Indiana Historic Preservation Advisory Team,
have been hard at work developing the plan that will serve as design recommendations
for the Downtown Jeffersonville Approach section of the Ohio River Bridges Project
and how it impacts these important community assets in Southern Indiana,” said Jeff
Vlach, Environmental Commitments Manager for Community Transportation Solutions,
the General Engineering Consultant (CTS-GEC) for the Ohio River Bridges Project.
“This meeting gives the public an opportunity to serve as a checks-and-balances
system for the plan to ensure we move forward with the best possible solutions to
preserve the historic district.”
According to the Bridges Project Memorandum of Agreement, the Historic Preservation
Plan will provide recommendations for use in designing the Downtown Jeffersonville
Approach section. The plan will address issues like developing streetscape improvements,
relocating historic houses, designing pedestrian-friendly facilities and selecting
noise abatement measures.
Butler, Fairman & Seufert (BF&S), a civil engineering firm with offices in Indianapolis,
Merrillville, Bluffton and Jeffersonville, Ind., is the Section Design Consultant
for the Downtown Jeffersonville Approach.
“We can’t stress enough how important it is for the public to come and participate
in these meetings,” said Vlach. “This project doesn’t just belong to us working
on it, it belongs to the public. The input we receive from these meetings help shape
the plan that will serve as a vital tool for the design team. We strongly encourage
those interested, particularly residents and those with business interests in Old
Jeffersonville, to come and participate.”
The public input from the meeting will be used by CTS-GEC in refining the Historic
Preservation Plan, which is expected to be completed by January of 2007. The plan
will then be used by BF&S to assist in implementing its design for the section.
Upon finalization, the plan will also be presented to the city of Jeffersonville
for use as a possible component in their comprehensive plans. Additional opportunities
for public input in the design phase of the project are expected.
The Ohio River Bridges Project addresses the long-term, cross-river transportation
needs in the Louisville-Southern Indiana region. In 2003, the Federal Highway Administration,
Indiana Department of Transportation and Kentucky Transportation Cabinet agreed
that the only feasible way to meet cross-river transportation needs was to construct
two new bridges and rebuild the Kennedy Interchange. Of a variety of options studied,
the alternative selected would best achieve the transportation needs with the least
amount of impact on environmental resources and the communities.
The Bridges Project is currently in the design phase with construction tentatively
scheduled to be complete by 2020. For more information, visit the project Web site,
at www.kyinbridges.com.