Street and possibly to downtown South Bend. In the long run, this could lead to future
<br />development along Michigan Street and perhaps to some revitalization from the south of the South
<br />Gateway District.
<br />Alternative E
<br />Curving into US 31 further to the south in comparison to option D, Alternative E will affect any structure
<br />impacted by route C as well as where E overlaps with route F: 08040, a barn dating to 1885 that rates
<br />S/11, 08041, a contributing Queen Anne residence, and 08039, the Julia Schafer farmhouse that ranks
<br />S/12. Option E may directly affect two local historic landmarks 08038 L, the Joseph Farneman
<br />Italianate farmhouse on US 31 and Southlawn Cemetery. The cemetery dates to 1850 and has a small
<br />administration building dating to the 1920s. It will affect a large portion of the Penn Central/Conrail RR
<br />corridor.
<br />Because Alternative E will affect two local landmarks along US 31, staff finds that this option is not
<br />as favorable as C and D. To its benefit, Route E would not harm the large amount of historic
<br />structures that line US 31. Staff feels that one might as well choose D over E because one would still
<br />travel over the RR corridor and link to Michigan Street but the road would not affect those
<br />landmarks.
<br />Alternative F
<br />Of all the routes to be studied, Alternative F remains on the current US 31 path for the longest distance.
<br />North of the city of Lakeville, F curves to the east to rejoin the existing US 31. The proposed route ends
<br />at the US 31 junction with US 20. Due to the large amount of residential and commercial development
<br />along US 31, alternative F offers many challenges. Nine historic structures, including two local
<br />landmarks, and possibly more stand along the roadside. If the roadway is widened, many of these homes
<br />and businesses, historic or not, may have to be moved or demolished. Yet, it may be preferable to reuse
<br />an existing travel artery rather than cut through rural and suburban areas with new roadbeds. The
<br />negative impact on the specific structures along the roadway, though great in the short term, may be
<br />comparably less than the possible long term negative affects upon the county's landscape and living
<br />environments caused by the construction of one of the other options.
<br />Of the many structures that would be directly affected by possible improvements and widening of US 31
<br />as proposed in Alternative F, the following are historic and recorded on the Historic Structures Inventory
<br />of St. Joseph County completed by the Historic Preservation Commission and Crumlish & Sporleder in
<br />1975. As a�erson drives north in Union County, he or she may gather a brief glimpse of a 1924
<br />bungalow, l a circa 1880s vernacular farmhouse on the left17 and a circa 1890s Queen Anne residence on
<br />the right. 18 One also passes two historic barns dating to 1885 and 1890 and another Queen Anne
<br />residence from 1910.9 Nearing the limits of the city of South Bend, a driver may find two significant
<br />structures along the roadway: the Julia Schafer House at 61550 US 31, an Italianate vernacular house
<br />dating to 1885, and the Joseph Farneman Farmhouse at 61191 US 31, an Italianate that dates to around
<br />1870 (08039, 08038 L). The later residence is currently a local landmark and unfortunately now stands
<br />vacant. Lastly, a significant rated barn located at 62697 Ironwood Road would also be impacted by possible
<br />expansion work completed on US 31 (08007). Alternative F may threaten to take some of the Southlawn
<br />Cemetery's property.
<br />If F is chosen, commercial development would remain in along US 31 instead of dispersing to the east or
<br />west of South Bend and into the farmlands of the county. New development along this route could
<br />possibly enhance the southern entrance to the city of South Bend and then revive an aging and
<br />16 64087 US 31, 11070, C/10.
<br />1' 08044, 63610 US 31, C/10.
<br />IR 08043, 63419 US 31, C/10. '908042,62515 US 31, Bam, c. 1890,C/10;08041 61953 US 31, QA, 1910,C/10;08040,61601 US 31, bam, c. 1885,S/11.
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