By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

WINONA LAKE — Those with electric vehicles may charge them in Winona Lake in the future.

Winona Lake is receiving funds via the Federal Highway Administration’s Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program to install a charging station outside Winona Lake Town Hall. The Michiana Area Council of Governments helped facilitate the grant.

MACOG also helped the town with an Indiana Office of Energy Development Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant for the Winona Lake Police Department. The town hoped to acquire several electric vehicles for the police department and chargers for the police station and officers’ homes.

However, the town recently learned it wouldn’t get that grant. The Indiana Office of Energy Development was unable to be reached for comment regarding the reason for denial.

The charging station the town is receiving via the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program will be located outside Winona Lake Town Hall by Park Avenue and Fort Wayne Street, with room for “at least two spots,” said Winona Lake Town Manager Craig Allebach.

He said leaders initially considered putting a charging area over at The Village at Winona.

“The problem with The Village is there’s no close electrical infrastructure there,” he explained.

Allebach said the chosen spot “will serve (Winona Lake Limitless Park), but be close enough to The Village where they could come down there and plug in too.”

He said the chargers will be similar to those in downtown Warsaw by the Kosciusko County Courthouse.

Allebach said he’s not sure on the timeline for bringing the charging spots in.

“Of course these charging stations eventually get on maps,” he noted. “If people want to stop here, and either be in our park or probably more likely that they stop and maybe eat at the restaurants or shop in The Village … It’s just a little off the beaten path.”

“It’s … a good thing for economic development to bring people to the area,” he said.

Allebach said there should be a fee for charging though it would be “reasonable.”

“I don’t think we’re maybe interested in making a whole lot of money, but at least maybe breaking even,” he said.

Allebach said the town would maintain the charging area with the help of MACOG.