Soon anyone who lives, works or shops in the Town of Plainfield will have an easier time finding intended destinations and discovering new places to explore. A wayfinding sign system, planned for installation shortly after major road construction projects are completed, will direct residents and visitors to municipal or retail centers and other popular – if not always easy to find – destinations.
According to Joe James, the Town’s Director of Planning and Zoning, several types of signs will be installed as part of the coordinated system. These include Gateway signs at six major points of entry, 14 Directory signs that will guide travelers to popular destinations, and Median Adoption signs which identify companies or organizations that have agreed to maintain curbed medians on public streets. In all, more than 30 signs are planned for installation. Certain locations, primarily the Gateway signs, will be coordinated with the Indiana Department of Transportation.
As with the temporary wayfinding signs erected by Premier Properties, developer of the Metropolis Lifestyle Center, the new Directory signs will be placed at key traffic decision points. The new signs will prominently feature "Plainfield Red" for enhanced visibility and will include a broad range of points of interest. These major destinations, focusing on districts, municipal entities, and attractions, will feature such destinations as Splash Island; Plainfield schools, Library and parks; industrial parks; Town agencies and offices; and more.
Up to five destinations per sign will be listed, top to bottom, by proximity; in other words, those locations closest to the sign will be listed at the top, with destinations further away placed lower on the sign. Additional smaller Secondary Directory signs – which may be leased to local businesses – will direct traffic to destinations not included on the larger directories. Another benefit of the signs, says James, is that commercial truck drivers will more easily find the best routes to and from the industrial district, reducing traffic congestion in other key areas.
When completed, says Town Council member Kent McPhail, "this system will make it easy for visitors to discover how much Plainfield has to offer, and will make the Town a more convenient place to live, work and shop."
For more information about the new wayfinding sign system, contact Joe James at 839-2561, ext. 217, or at jjames@town.plainfield.in.us.
Third Fire Station Moving Forward
To serve its fast-growing northeast commercial, industrial and residential areas, the Town of Plainfield has begun planning and development of its third fire station. The new station will be located on North Airtech Parkway between Clover Drive and Airtech Parkway on land currently owned – and to be donated by – Browning Investments.
According to Fire Chief Byron Anderson, Fire Station #3 will ultimately have 18 firefighters and will house an ambulance, ladder truck and pumper truck. It will serve Bentwood, Meadowlark and Huntwick subdivisions, as well as the expanding retail area along US 40 from Perry Road to Raceway Road, including the Metropolis Lifestyle Center. Other developments to be served by the station include Airtech; Airwest; the new 920-acre All Points Midwest industrial park; and the new Plainfield East business area located on the east side of Ronald Reagan Parkway north of Stafford Road.
The new station, Anderson says, "will also improve mutual response times to Indianapolis International Airport, Wayne Township and Washington (Avon) Township Fire Departments." The station’s fire responders will also be able to more quickly reach Heartland Crossing to provide fire and emergency medical services to that unincorporated portion of Guilford Township.
The Town Council has authorized the Plainfield Fire Department to prepare a Request for Proposal (RFP) for station design, with construction expected to begin in early 2008.
Volunteers Really Clean Up
Plainfield’s first Earth Day/Community Clean-Up Event was a clear success. The event, held April 28 in partnership with the Hendricks County Partnership for Water Quality, educated citizens about environmental issues, dangers and solutions. In addition, 75 volunteers collected trash along nearly 50 miles of roadside ditches, trails and streams, and sponsor Cascade Asset Management collected 11,000 lbs. of electronic equipment for recycling.
Walk-in volunteers and other sponsors who donated time, money, materials, and resources included Adesa Auto Auction; Alpha Pi Masters Chapter Beta Sigma Phi Sorority; Butler, Fairman, and Seufert; Duke Energy; Duke Realty; Fundex Games; JDH Contracting; Kristy’s Café; Plainfield Chamber of Commerce; Plainfield Department of Public Works, Plainfield Schools; Plainfield Rotary Club; and The Schneider Corporation. Plans are already underway for next year’s events. Contact Patricia Seymour at 839-3490 or at pseymour@town.plainfield.in.us for more information.
