By David Slone
Times-Union

William Farrar

WARSAW — From 1954 to 1986, William Farrar was a teacher or principal at Madison Elementary School when the Warsaw school was on North Union Street.

Though Madison was moved north to CR 300N, the old building became Gateway Grove Educational Center before being demolished in 2021, and Farrar died in 2005, he has not been forgotten as the Warsaw Plan Commission voted Monday night to rename Main Lane in Gateway Grove to Farrar Lane.

Gateway Grove is the housing addition located on the former site of Madison on Union Street. Main Lane runs parallel to Main Street. At the previous Warsaw Traffic Commission meeting, the traffic commission voted to request the name of Main Lane — incorrectly previously labeled as Main Avenue — be changed in order to prevent any confusion between Main Lane and Main Street and because of their close proximity.

The suggestion for the new name of Main Lane that City Planner Justin Taylor presented to the plan commission Monday was Farrar Lane.

“I worked with the developer, as well, on suggesting a new name for Main Lane,” he said. “… Changing that to Farrar, and that is to honor William Farrar, who taught at the school.”

Councilwoman and Commission member Diane Quance said Farrar was the principal at Madison.

The commission voted unanimously to refile the necessary plats with the renaming of the street to Farrar Lane. The plat will be recorded at the county with the street name change.

Before getting to the road name change, the Warsaw Plan Commission heard a petition from Groninger-Groninger Group LLC for a final plat approval for Gateway Grove planned unit development phase 2 at 575 W. Fort Wayne St., Warsaw.

Taylor told the planners the preliminary plat for the Gateway Grove subdivision was submitted and approved by the Warsaw Plan Commission in January 2021 and by the Warsaw Common Council in February 2021.

“The petitioner wishes to create a 0.17-acre plot of land and dedicate approximately 0.08 miles of roadway to the city. The parcel created by this plat is intended to be deeded to the city and developed into a neighborhood park,” Taylor said.

He recommended that the plan commission grant final approval for the Gateway Grove PUD phase 2 plat.

No representatives for the petitioner were present at Monday’s meeting.

Plan Commission President Rick Keeven asked what part of the plat was the park. City engineer Aaron Ott said lot A, which is just to the west of the new Downtown Warsaw YMCA. The YMCA building is the former Madison gym.

Taylor said just an abbreviated version of phase 2 has been platted so they can move forward on the park.

City Councilman Juergen Voss asked what a gated area back by the woods was and if it was another park.

Quance said it was a possible dog park, but it’s not been determined if it will just be for the residents in Gateway Grove or open to the public yet.

Quance asked if the park just west of the YMCA was going to be a part of the Warsaw Parks and Recreation Department’s park system. Taylor said yes and Parks Superintendent Larry Plummer “already has the equipment, so that will be installed” as soon as ownership of the parcel changes hands.

Quance made a motion to approve the final plat for phase 2 of the Gateway Grove PUD, with commission member Renea Salyer providing the second. The motion passed unanimously.