Latest news with #CrownPointCityCouncil
Chicago Tribune
04-06-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Crown Point council approves three athletic-related businesses
It was a slam dunk for three athletic-related new business requests that came before the Crown Point City Council on Monday. The city council unanimously approved special use allowances for the following: a cheerleading facility at 1055 Troutwine Road; a soccer training facility at 1025 Troutwine Road; and a fitness facility at 1849 E. Summit St. The city council also unanimously approved a special use to allow townhomes to be built at 1525 W. 96th Ave. James Hus, from DVG Engineering, said plans are to build single, six-unit townhomes on a parcel of land located at West 96th Avenue and Merrillville Road. Hus said he didn't know the exact price range of the townhomes but estimated they would be 'north of $250,000.' Hus said he realizes this is the first of two steps since he will need to come back for city officials' approval to change zoning of the property from B-2 to R-3. Once that is completed then construction plans can go forward, Hus said. Russell Pozen, from DVG Engineering, relayed plans for an 18,000-square-foot cheerleading facility to be built at 1055 Troutwine Road. Pozen said the indoor-only business would be open during standard business hours. City Councilwoman Laura Sauerman, R-4th, questioned what standard business hours meant since she envisioned it as more of a '9 to 5' type of business. Pozen said typically the hours for the facility would be in the evening, from 5 to 9 p.m. 'That makes more sense,' Sauerman said. Pozen introduced the owner of the proposed 12,500-square-foot new soccer facility to be located at 1025 Troutwine Road. Owner Andy Bridgman said his facility would specialize in educating young soccer players. Bridgman said he will work with the Crown Point Youth Soccer organization. 'We want to help their teams grow,' Bridgman said. Business hours will be primarily from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. during the weekdays with some personal training and games on Sundays. Ellen Sistovaris said she plans to open a pilates business at 1849 E. Summit St. that will be named after both of her Greek grandmothers. 'I'm so excited to open this studio,' she said. The new business, which will feature appointment-only yoga and pilates classes, will be called Leni's Pilates. Classes will be held in the morning and early evening and will entail about 10 participants taking yoga and 10 taking pilates.
Chicago Tribune
05-03-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Crown Point council approves water, sewage rate hikes
The Crown Point City Council approved ordinances putting into place hefty hikes for both water and sewage usage in the city. The council on Monday adopted a new water rate followed by the adoption of an increase in the city's sewer rate after a public hearing in which a few residents, including Sam Kozaitis, spoke against an increase. Kozaitis blamed the need for the increased sewer capacity on the accelerated growth in the city and because city officials have been approached by landowners to continue with unbridled development. He held up a photo of Crown Point city officials, including former Crown Point City Mayor David Uran, at an out-of-state golfing event. 'It's all based on developers and back room deals,' Kozaitis alleged. Although only a few residents spoke against the sewer rate increase during the public hearing, many who watched on Zoom left comments including a desire to slow the growth of residential subdivisions, making developers pay more upfront costs, and improving existing infrastructure. 'There is a difference in unchecked growth and smart growth,' resident Sandy Snow Boyd commented on the City of Crown Point social media site. Under the new water utility ordinance, rates will increase by 19% over a two-year period, with the city absorbing the additional Indiana American Water increase of 36.7%, Mayor Pete Land said. Water rate increases will be as follows: residential customers who use 1,500 gallons a month will see their total bill go up $3.71 from $19.53 to $23.24; while customers who use 5,000 gallons per month will see their total bill go up $11.58 a month, from $61.01 to $72.59. Proposed hikes will be billed into three phases: Phase 1: upon adoption of the ordinance; Phase 2: Aug. 1 and Phase 3: Aug. 1, 2026. The council also approved on Monday an increase for city sewer rates. Effective Monday, the sewer rate per 1,000 gallons went from $11.07 to $16.71, creating an increase of $5.64 in Phase 1. This change will be reflected on the bill customers receive at the beginning of May for March usage, Land said. On Jan. 1, 2026, the rate per 1,000 gallons for sewer rate changes will go from $16.71 to $21.06, for an increase of $4.35 per 1,000 gallons. This change, as part of Phase 2, will be reflected on the bill of customers beginning March 2026 for January's usage. The water rate increase for Crown Point, and other municipalities across the state, goes back to early 2024 when Indiana American Water got approval from the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission to raise water rates. Land said Indiana American Water officials argued the increase was necessary to pay for services and because, in many municipalities, they owned the infrastructures and needed to make improvements. 'My argument was that wasn't the case in Crown Point where we own all the infrastuctures, ' he said. In addition, under the United States Environmental Protection Agency-mandated Lead Service Line Replacement Project, all Indiana communities are required to inspect and replace any lead service line found in homes prior to 1990. If lead is found, replacement would be done from the water main to the home at no cost to the homeowner, Land said. Crown Point has been granted a $5 million no-interest loan from the state because of the city being proactive in the project, he said. In regard to the proposed sewer ordinance, the last wastewater plant expansion was done in 1998, some 27 years ago. The original wastewater treatment plant was constructed in 1976. 'Wastewater plants are designed to accommodate a 20-year growth, and we are now 27 years past the last expansion,' Land said. Work that needs to be completed would include on-going sewer infrastructure repairs, replacements and upgrades on aging citywide infrastructure, he said. Plant expansion cannot be done at the current site but a new open site would be more affordable to build on, would provide more initial capacity for treatment and would allow for future expansion, he said. Council members Robert Clemons and Laura Sauerman both said they understand the concerns of residents. 'This is not new. We have to take care of what we have now and we can't do that now. I'm not an engineer. I'm a resident who has had flooding,' Sauerman said. Clemons said many of the issues go back to 1996 when he first took office. 'We try and fix the problem and not create the problem. We have to work on quality of life,' Clemons said.
Chicago Tribune
26-01-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Public can weigh in on Crown Point's proposed water, sewage rate hikes
The public will get the chance to weigh in on proposed increases for both water and sewage usage in Crown Point. The Crown Point City Council will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. on Feb. 3 regarding proposed increases for both. City engineers and financial consultants will make a presentation followed by the public hearing during which all residents will be able to speak and provide input, Mayor Pete Land said. City Council meetings are held in the council chambers in City Hall, 101 N. East St. Under the proposed water utility ordinance, rates would increase by 19% over a two-year period with the city absorbing the additional Indiana American Water increases of 36.9%, Land said. City officials are still in discussion regarding sewer rate changes. 'Any proposed rate changes (for the wastewater utility) are still being evaluated by the city and its financial consultants,' he said. The initial ordinance was introduced at the Jan. 6 meeting. 'We are still continuing to explore many possible avenues while keeping the rates as low as possible. We are not done with the analysis,' he said. Land anticipates that the City Council at its Feb. 3 meeting will vote on the proposed water rate ordinance and possibly adopt it but won't vote on or adopt the sewer rate changes until its March 3 meeting. Under the proposed water rate increases, residential customers who use 1,500 gallons a month will see their total bill go up $3.71 from $19.53 to $23.24; while customers who use 5,000 gallons per month will see their total bill go up $11.58 a month, from $61.01 to $72.59. If the City Council adopts the proposed water rate increases, the hikes would be billed into three phases: Phase 1: upon adoption of the ordinance; Phase 2: Aug. 1 and Phase 3: Aug. 1, 2026. The reason behind the water rate increase for Crown Point, and other municipalities across the state, goes back to early 2024 when Indiana American Water got approval from the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission to raise water rates. The statewide water utility serves customers in many Northwest Indiana communities, including Chesterton, Gary, Lowell, Lake Station, Dune Acres, Burns Harbor, Griffith, Hobart, Merrillville, Portage, Porter, Schererville, South Haven, Valparaiso and Winfield. Land said Indiana American Water officials argued the increase was necessary to pay for services and because, in many municipalities, they owned the infrastructures and needed to make improvements. 'My argument was that wasn't the case in Crown Point where we own all the infrastructures,' he said. Since Indiana American Water was granted approval for the increase, the city of Crown Point has absorbed the cost. 'There have been three increases and the city has absorbed all three,' he said. In addition, under the United States Environmental Protection Agency-mandated Lead Service Line Replacement Project, all Indiana communities are required to inspect and replace any lead service line found in homes built before 1990. If lead is found, replacement would be done from the water main to the home at no cost to the homeowner, he said. Crown Point has been granted a $5 million no-interest loan from the state because of the city being proactive in the project, he said. Regarding the proposed sewer ordinance, the last wastewater plant expansion was done in 1998, some 27 years ago. 'Wastewater plants are designed to accommodate a 20-year growth, and we are now 27 years past the last expansion,' he said. Crown Point has implemented only three sewer rate increases since 2009, including 2017 and 2022. Work that needs to be completed includes ongoing sewer infrastructure repairs, replacements and upgrades on aging city-wide infrastructure, he said. Plant expansion cannot be done at the current site nor is it the most suitable location for all service areas. All current and planned infrastructure projects ensure the city remains in IDEM compliance, he said.
