FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — A packed crowd preceded Tuesday’s Fort Wayne City Council meeting that led to a final passage vote approving a party barge proposal that has been contested for months.
City Council approved a final passage of the project in a 7-2 vote, with councilmembers Geoff Paddock and Russ Jehl being the two who voted against the proposal.
The proposal, backed by River City Ventures, would add a party barge dock and a parking lot to initial plans for a restaurant at the intersection of Parnell Avenue and Spy Run Avenue Extended.
A majority of the property is already zoned the way River City Ventures needs it to be for the restaurant, but the current proposal would convert the rest of the surrounding land to the appropriate zoning requirement for the other additions.
During the City Council meeting, the council had an “approved list” of people who could speak and answer questions during the meeting:
– Tom Trent, lawyer representing the project
– Dan Wire, an opponent of the proposal who has spoken against it multiple times
– Steve Reed, Police Chief of the Fort Wayne Police Department
– representatives from Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation
– other city officials
Opponents of the proposal have made appearances at multiple city council meetings and hosted their own press conference to discuss how they believe the project will hinder flood plains in the area and a section of the Rivergreenway trail system that runs through the property.
It is not known when construction on the project will start nor finish, but the project still needs approval from Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation in order to have a dock on the river.
As reported by WANE 15