Dillsboro Addresses "Limited Access" At IMPACT Ideas Session

The IMPACT Ideas Sessions will be held on March 13 and April 8 at Indiana Landmarks in Indianapolis.

(Dillsboro, Ind.) - Community leaders from the town of Dillsboro will be heading to Indianapolis to address the issues and struggles of being a "limited access" town. 

Dillsboro is one of the five communities that will be participating in IMPACT Ideas Sessions that will feature a hands-on experience designed to help communities address a challenge or pursue an opportunity in downtown.

Town Manager Doug Rump, Town Council President Mary Lou Powers, and Director of Economic Development Susan Greco have created a presentation on the gateway/access to downtown to bring to the IMPACT Ideas Session on Friday, March 13.

Greco explained how Dillsboro is being affected by limited accessibility. 

"Our challenge is that U.S. Highway 50 cuts through the municipality from east to west with a four lane limited access fenced transportation corridor.  Our three existing accesses are being diminished by two j-turns with no north/south crossover. Our Main Street or downtown business district does not have direct access from any of the accesses," says Dillsboro's Director of Economic Development. 

The three community members say that Dillsboro is not able to develop along the highway since it is fenced. 

Another limit the town has is that federal highways are not maintained and are overgrown with trees and underbrush. 

In order to revitalize the downtown or develop economically along the corridor, the presenters believe they must find a solution to the high speed, heavy transport corridor.

There will be two sessions held on March 13 and April 8 to hear presentations from the five pilot IMPACT communities.