FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – After a protracted process, Allen County Commissioners can move forward with the Meyer Road site for the new Allen County Jail.

At Thursday’s Fort Wayne Board of Zoning Appeals meeting, contingency use was passed by the board allowing the construction of a jail on the site in a 3-1 vote.

While the commissioners may have gotten what they wanted, many residents of the adjacent Sunnymede neighborhood have been pushing against the location from the beginning.

In fact, their many concerns about safety and the environment caused the Allen County Commissioners to push the decision back to this month, after it was initially scheduled to be decided last month.

At the meeting, a representative for the commissioners addressed some of the concerns residents had, including issues involving flooding, noise complaints and transportation of inmates.

One notable addition to the jail site based on public feedback is an 8-foot, 80-foot long berm, which will obstruct the view of the jail for Sunnymede residents.

Along with the berm, the building will be set back 360 feet from the Sunnymede property line.

After the meeting, opponents of the jail gathered in the lobby to discuss their next move.

According to a timeline provided by the Allen County Commissioners in December 2022, construction on the new jail should begin in 2024.