Packard 2030 is a planning document which provides a shared vision and direction for the group of neighborhoods located in the southwest urban core of the City of Fort Wayne. Made up of homes averaging over 100 years old, the Packard area is rich with history, and a vibrant culture that the community looks to preserve and enhance while welcoming the future. In the following pages, you will find that this plan was created to:
• Engage the residents and stakeholders of the Packard area to identify and prioritize needs and aspirations• Engage the residents and stakeholders of the Packard area to identify and prioritize needs and aspirations
• Establish a shared vision that can guide the 18 neighborhoods of the Packard area
• Celebrate the Packard area’s history and culture and discover its unique personality
• Develop a set of goals and implementation strategies that will guide planning and development activities, neighborhood design, public improvements, and future investments
• Provide guidance to neighborhood associations in the Packard Area, the City of Fort Wayne, decision-makers, public agencies, developers, investors, for-profit corporations, and non-profit organizations
PACKARD 2030 includes the following neighborhoods:
| Broad River | Courts of Woodhurst | Creighton Home | Fairfield | Fairfield Terrace Belmont | Fairmont |
| Foster Park | Harrison Hill | Hoagland Masterson | Illsley Place | Oakdale | Poplar |
| Sherwood to Pettit | South Wayne | Southwood Park | West Rudisill | Williams Woodland Park | Woodhurst |
Why is a neighborhood plan important?
You may ask, why is a neighborhood plan important? The neighborhood planning process offers local stakeholders the opportunity to come together and shape the future of your neighborhood. Neighborhood plans do a lot for a community, including (1) engaging residents and businesses in identifying a future vision for the area and providing strategies and recommendations for achieving that vision, (2) providing detailed recommendations for the neighborhood to ensure neighborhoods grow as envisioned by the plan, and (3) provide a level of analysis, detail, and guidance on issues affecting local areas that a citywide plan cannot.
What was the Planning Process?
The Packard 2030 planning process began in the Winter of 2020 at the Packard Area Planning Alliance’s request to update the previous 2005 Packard Area Plan. Neighborhood leadership was concerned that many elements of the previous plan were outdated and no longer reflected the current demographic, socioeconomic, or geographic footprint of the expanded Packard Area.
With a steering committee made up of Packard Area Planning Alliance leadership and a few additional neighborhood leaders in place, the Packard 2030 plan kicked off just one month before the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The interruption required the Packard Area Planning Alliance and the steering committee to take a different and elongated approach to the planning process.
At the heart of Packard 2030 are robust stakeholder and resident engagement processes. Over the past two years, thousands of community members, from youth to seniors and renters to property owners, workers, business owners, and elected officials, participated in over 200 meetings and workshops. Engagement strategies included online, and print surveys in multiple languages, COVID-safe public events, working group meetings covering several broad topics, neighborhood walks, and meetings in various locations, including Williams Woodland, Woodhurst, Creighton-Home, Fairmont, and Hoagland Masterson.
Planning Tools:
Resident Survey: To gather perceptions and concerns about the Packard Area, a digital and paper survey was widely distributed to residents and business owners and garnered eight hundred (800) responses. Surveys were provided in English and Spanish and distributed through various platforms to ensure ample coverage of the Packard Area.
Stakeholder Interviews: Over sixty (60) one-on-one stakeholder meetings were conducted to gain additional insight into challenges and priorities for neighborhoods in the Packard Area. The stakeholder meetings were primarily conducted in May and June 2020. They were conducted using a ‘snowball sample,’ meaning that the primary residents contacted were asked to provide an additional stakeholder to interview until we conducted fifty total. Participants included long-time and short-term residents, business owners, non-profit executives, and leaders of institutional facilities to ensure a broad representation of the neighborhoods that contribute to the Packard Area.
Neighborhood Walks and Meetings: The City’s Neighborhood Planning and Activation staff attended nearly forty (40) neighborhood walks and neighborhood association meetings throughout the two-year planning timeframe. At each meeting and walk, staff spoke with residents and business owners to better understand their concerns and vision for the neighborhood and used the opportunity to complete field assessments of neighborhood conditions.
Public Open House: Four public open house events were held at Wunderkammer Company in January 2022 to present the initial findings and recommendations to the community. Nearly one hundred (100) residents came out to provide feedback on the information provided, and the recommendations outlined in the plan are what emerged from the Open House.
Planning Lens:
Sustainability: Planning for sustainability means that the activities we undertake today will not compromise our resources (both human and natural) in the future. This means that people, buildings, neighborhoods, the economy, and public services will be ready to withstand and adapt to a larger change in the years to come.
Equity: Planning for equity and inclusion means that the steps we take must account for the “larger community” rather than the few that are often the most vocal. Ensuring justice and fairness allows for ethical and fair access to a high quality of life. This means we must recognize planning practices that have had a disparate impact on specific communities while actively working with residents to create communities where all can thrive and have access to a high quality of life regardless of race, gender, income, ability, orientation, etc.
Planning Framework:
Neighborhood Revitalization: The ultimate goal of neighborhood revitalization is to improve the quality of life for residents. In Packard 2030, Neighborhood Revitalization focuses on housing and economic opportunities while emphasizing beautification.
Neighborhood Culture: Throughout the planning process, residents emphasized that the area’s historical feel and diversity are the key ingredients to a successful Packard Area. Neighborhood Culture focuses on preserving historic assets, celebrating cultural diversity, and promoting inclusivity in each Packard Area neighborhood.
Neighborhood Public Realm: The streets, alleys, sidewalks, trails, bike lanes, and parks work together seamlessly to ensure residents have ample access to other destinations in Fort Wayne while providing a sense of place. Neighborhood Public Realm focuses on these critical infrastructure investments while ensuring ample open space.
WHAT IS THE PLAN TIMELINE
A typical neighborhood plan can take anywhere from 18 to 24 months to complete, and in the midst of our engagement was the COVID-19 Pandemic. Even though most of the in-person engagement was limited, the Packard Area neighborhoods stepped up with online and paper survey distribution unlike any other neighborhood plan completed in Fort Wayne in recent years. The project team was able to pivot and effectively engage over 1,500 residents through various methods of outreach.
Draft Guiding Principals, Goals & Policies
The Packard 2030 Steering Committee considered an exhaustive list of Guiding Principles, Neighborhood Priorities, and Potential Implementation Strategies to inform future policies that will impact the Packard Area for the next generation. These recommendations are intended to establish broad goals and parameters to guide future efforts to advance the Packard Area. Specific regulations and policies that will be used to address future issues may differ from those listed in the following section. For that reason, it should be noted that the following goals, strategies, and actions are not definitive but rather provide guidance to the Packard Area and its 18 neighborhood(s).
With the complexity of issues and diverse views presented throughout the engagement process, it is important to note that not all of the listed recommendations represent the position of every steering committee member. However, the Packard 2030 Steering Committee members have concluded that based on the input provided by nearly 1,500 residents, businesses, and stakeholders, the following recommendations are well-balanced and will advance the overall goals of the Packard Area. In the coming decade, if a new project or program commences and is not consistent with the priorities listed, it should only be done with consultation and feedback from the public.
While some of the recommendations call out specific neighborhood area priorities, the implementation strategies listed on the following pages should be considered by the Packard Area as each neighborhood has multiple tangible interconnections that support a healthy, vibrant, and prosperous community for all.
While some of the recommendations call out specific neighborhood area priorities, the implementation strategies listed on the following pages should be considered by the Packard Area as each neighborhood has multiple tangible interconnections that support a healthy, vibrant, and prosperous community for all. Finally, it should be noted that the recommendations are presented in the context of the greater planning effort for the Packard Area. Packard 2030 summarizes the recommendations that emerged from the engagement process and reflects the highest priorities that should guide future implementation. The document is designed to be ‘living,’ which means that the broad recommendations can be adjusted to meet future needs without dismissing thousands of voices and hours of work.
NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION
At the heart of the mission for the Packard Area Planning Alliance is the notion that every resident should have the ability to thrive in their neighborhood. Engagement responses throughout the planning process emphasized that while the Packard Area has seen significant positive growth over the past decade, a renewed focus on neighborhood revitalization was paramount. To achieve these results, there are five primary goals (1) Providing Safe, Diverse, and Quality Housing Choices that ensure one’s residence is a place where one can live their best life, (2) Supporting Neighborhood Businesses which serve the population by providing goods and services, (3) Enhancing Neighborhood Corridors as they are the seams that bind the primarily residential neighborhoods together, (4) Applying Appropriate Zoning so that property can reach its best and highest use, and (5) Neighborhood Health and Safety which considers how the built environment can impact one’s sense of security and wellbeing.
- Sustainability: Using the lens of sustainability, we encourage all revitalization efforts to be done with both interior and exterior environmental concerns in mind, in order to ensure the well-being of residents both at home and in their community. Therefore, this plan encourages ecologically sound improvements to housing stock (i.e. using renewable energy sources, non-toxic materials, and high energy-efficiency appliances, systems, and fixtures), commercial building stock (that can be repurposed or adaptively reused), and public infrastructure.
- Equity: Using the lens of equity, this focus area details how we seek to retain residents and supportive businesses of diverse races, ethnicities, and income levels. We recognize that the way to achieve this goal is to encourage a variety of mixed-income housing, along with commercial and retail opportunities so residents who want to remain in the Packard Area have the ability to do so. Additionally, the Neighborhood Revitalization goals promote neighborhood accessibility and welcomeness by stipulating the resources and marketing should be provided for and made with the intention of engaging neighbors of various languages and abilities.
| GOAL ONE | All Neighborhoods Within The Packard Area Should Provide Safe, Stable, Fair, Diverse, And Quality Housing Choices |
| POLICY 1.1 | Encourage regular maintenance and upkeep of residential properties in a way that supports the existing character of the neighborhood(s) |
| POLICY 1.2 | Support income-eligible residents with assistance that provides regular maintenance and upkeep of residential properties |
| POLICY 1.3 | Support the development and rehabilitation of housing that can be acquired by both renters and homeowners at affordable rates |
| POLICY 1.4 | Encourage developers to build a variety of housing options through infill development projects |
| POLICY 1.5 | Support the expansion of homeownership programs |
| POLICY 1.6 | Support the development of tenant-based programs |
| GOAL TWO | Support Neighborhood-Oriented Businesses And Entrepreneurship Programs |
| POLICY 2.1 | Support existing neighborhood businesses and expand access to quality retail |
| POLICY 2.2 | Make the Packard Area a destination for entrepreneurs and start-up businesses |
| POLICY 2.3 | Support business development opportunities for marginalized populations |
| GOAL THREE | Enhance Neighborhood Commercial Corridors To Improve Neighborhood Identity And Support Neighborhood Businesses |
| POLICY 3.1 | Improve commercial corridors through streetscape enhancements |
| POLICY 3.2 | Improve corridor aesthetics through Facade Improvements |
| POLICY 3.3 | Prioritize beautification efforts on corridors |
| GOAL FOUR | Enhance, Improve, And Protect Neighborhood Character And Property Values Through The Application Of Appropriate Zoning Tools And Improved Enforcement Of Zoning Ordinance Provisions |
| POLICY 4.1 | Apply Urban Corridor (UC) designation to specific locations along commercial corridors to enhance and preserve existing urban-scaled, pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use corridors |
| POLICY 4.2 | Ensure screening and buffering standards are consistently enforced on commercial properties adjacent to residential-zoned neighborhoods |
| POLICY 4.3 | Encourage the adaptive reuse of vacant and underutilized commercial, institutional, and industrial buildings for residential, commercial, or mixed-use purposes |
| POLICY 4.4 | Evaluate zoning and land-use conflicts in the Packard Area and prioritize areas for zoning district modifications |
| GOAL FIVE | Provide A Sense Of Improved Health, Safety, And Security For Both Residents And Businesses |
| POLICY 5.1 | Encourage improvements to the physical and built environment to promote a sense of safety |
| POLICY 5.2 | Partner with the City’s Public Safety Divisions to monitor and communicate safety issues in the Packard Area |
| POLICY 5.3 | Provide resources to promote healthy lifestyles |
NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER
Ensuring diversity and celebrating neighborhood character is a focus for the Packard Area based on the shared responses through the community engagement process. There are three primary goals (1) Preserve and Promote the Historical Character of the Packard Area, which promotes the idea that historic preservation should be a tool that engages and supports the development of neighborhoods where residents of the community can enjoy no matter their background, (2) Celebrate Arts and Culture by showcasing the Packard Area's vibrancy as both one of Fort Wayne's leading artist communities as well as its cultural heritage, and (3) Cultivate inclusive neighborhoods as the population diversity continues to grow. Neighborhood Character is one of the most equity-focused sections of the plan and ensures that recommendations can be implemented and celebrated by residents of all neighborhoods.
- Sustainability: Using the lens of sustainability, we must recognize that historic preservation and culture both have a direct impact on promoting economic growth and environmental sustainability. For this reason, it is essential to support continued efforts that preserve cultural identities, historic assets, and neighborhood stories so they can continue to deliver benefits to residents and businesses for years to come.
- Equity: Using the lens of equity, the diversity of the Packard Area's neighborhood(s) and residents is a tremendous asset to the community. Ensuring that the neighborhood(s) are welcoming, inclusive, and celebratory of a wide variety of people will help foster and create a community that thrives both economically and socially.
| GOAL ONE | Preserve And Promote The Historical Character Of The Packard Area |
| POLICY 1.1 | Encourage maintenance and rehabilitation efforts that maintain the historic character of neighborhood areas |
| POLICY 1.2 | Promote programs that educate residents about historic preservation and rehabilitation and/or adaptive reuse of historic structures |
| POLICY 1.3 | Ensure the practice of historic preservation and protection of community assets is for everyone |
| POLICY 1.4 | Educate both residents and building owners about the Packard Areas' historic assets |
| POLICY 1.5 | Support the designation of National Register Districts, Local Historic Districts, Conservation Districts, Heritage Districts, and Commercial/Institutional Landmark properties |
| POLICY 1.6 | Ensure that neighborhood associations in the Packard Area are particularly aware and sensitive to historic preservation issues and the appropriate rehabilitation of historic properties |
| GOAL TWO | Celebrate The Rich Arts Community And Cultural Identity Of The Packard Area |
| POLICY 2.1 | Promote the Packard Area’s role as a cultural and artistic hub of the City |
| POLICY 2.2 | Encourage the development of community events to build intergenerational and multicultural relationships that celebrate the diversity of the Packard Area |
| POLICY 2.3 | Establish a cultural heritage district in the Packard Area |
| GOAL THREE | Cultivate Strong And Inclusive Neighborhoods |
| POLICY 3.1 | Strengthen the Packard Area Planning Alliance organization so that it fosters diversity and inclusivity among its member neighborhoods |
| POLICY 3.2 | Strengthen and activate neighborhoods within the Packard Area |
NEIGHBORHOOD PUBLIC REALM
Promoting an enhanced and robust quality of life in the Packard Area requires that residents and visitors can access and enjoy the amenities that neighborhoods and public spaces have to offer. There are two primary goals (1) Neighborhood Mobility, which focuses on transportation infrastructure and connectivity, and (2) Neighborhood Parks and Open Space, which promotes some of the Packard Area’s most prized assets, its park system. Each goal considers the lenses of sustainability and equity, equally important concepts that should be applied to all projects and programs implemented in the Packard Area.
- Sustainability: Using the lens of sustainability, in order to promote safety and well-being, this plan recommends implementing environmental and infrastructure improvements, as well as programs that promote activity in the public realm which have been demonstrated to (1) improve health, and (2) reduce the proliferation of crime. The increased use of public transportation along with the installation of green and blue infrastructure, will ready Packard Area neighborhood(s) to better absorb population growth. Improved transportation and infrastructure can also help to offset changes (i.e. increased stormwater runoff, traffic congestion, sedentary behavior, and smog) that can impact health outcomes for area residents.
- Equity: Using the lens of equity, we believe that safety, wellness, and mobility are essential components of creating equitable communities where all residents can participate, prosper, and reach their full potential. This is why the Neighborhood Public Realm section recommends implementing place-based measures that will improve access to public and multimodal transportation options, as well as public spaces and amenities that promote health and social interaction.
| GOAL ONE | Improve Neighborhood Mobility, Connectivity, And Transportation Infrastructure |
| POLICY 1.1 | Establish safe, clearly marked pedestrian and bikeway routes to better connect neighborhoods and destinations |
| POLICY 1.2 | Increase access to and encourage the use of public transportation |
| POLICY 1.3 | Promote and support road improvements that enhance the safety of neighborhood streets for all residents |
| POLICY 1.4 | Support the development of long-term improvement strategies to existing transportation, water, and sewer infrastructure, and utilities |
| POLICY 1.5 | Continue working to enhance the aesthetic appearance of gateways to the Packard Area |
| GOAL TWO | Support The Growth And Maintenance Of Parks, And Open Spaces |
| POLICY 2.1 | Ensure that existing parks, playgrounds, and open spaces are upgraded and maintained to a high standard |
| POLICY 2.2 | Implement the recommendations from the Packard Park Master Plan |
| POLICY 2.3 | Ensure that existing parks, playgrounds, and open spaces are physically accessible to all modes of travel from adjoining neighborhoods, schools, and corridors |
| POLICY 2.4 | Ensure that all Packard Area residents have access to quality programming and recreational opportunities in existing parks, playgrounds, and open spaces |
| POLICY 2.5 | Increase and Enhance the tree canopy throughout the entire Packard Area |