Latest news with #RedevelopmentCommission
Chicago Tribune
29-07-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Chesterton chooses Z-gate to enhance pedestrian safety at downtown crossing
A Z-gate crossing will be installed at the Calumet Road railroad tracks in Chesterton's downtown to improve pedestrian safety. Chesterton's Redevelopment Commission, which is made up of the five Town Council members, chose the Z-gate option during the Monday meeting before the council session. The town decided it needed to do something to enhance pedestrian safety at the prominent downtown railroad crossing because a 60-space parking lot was recently developed at nearby Grant Avenue. The new lot has become popular with those who attend the European Market, which operates on Saturdays in the downtown, May through October. The Feb. 28 death of a 70-year-old male bicyclist at the Calumet Road railroad crossing also brought the issue into focus. All five commission members were in agreement that the perpendicular configured Z-gate crossing, for $350,000, was the best option. The Lochmueller Group was authorized to begin the process, which may take up to two years to complete. Assistant Town Engineer Matt Gavelek said the reason why the process takes two years is the town has to go through an extensive permit process because the project involves working around railroad tracks. Councilwoman Erin Collins, D-2nd, said she felt the perpendicular Z-gate crossing design was the best safety choice, though it is costly. The Z-gate crossing would funnel pedestrians from the parking lot to walk in a zig-zag way, forcing them to look both ways while crossing the tracks south into the Thomas Centennial Park. Collins said the cheaper option mostly involved painting a crosswalk, but the Z-gate forces a pedestrian to look left and right. Councilman James Ton, R-1st, said that it's important to be cost-conscious, but the longer he considered the options, it became clear that the Z-gate was the way to go. 'It's better to do it right than to do it fast,' Ton said. Council also unanimously decided that it would retain the Harris, Lukmann & Welsh law firm to continue handling the town's legal affairs, which it has done for 45 years. Council decided after putting out a request for proposal and interviewing several law firms. Councilwoman Jennifer Fisher, R-5th, who is an attorney herself, in February advocated for the council to reconsider its contractual arrangement for legal representation. Fisher wanted the contract to be on a fixed-rate basis. The contract calls for the town to pay a monthly $9,840 fixed-rate retainer fee for services rendered to the town. Fisher said she is satisfied with the new contract and that it's a 'much better arrangement.' Connor Nolan from the firm will serve as the town attorney. Nolan has served as an associate town attorney for years. Chuck Lukmann, who had been town attorney for 45 years, stepped aside in February from the job. Council also approved the hiring of the London Witte Group to prepare a fiscal plan for the proposed annexation of 70 acres in Liberty Township, which are part of the Brassie Golf Club property, into Chesterton. PMM Chesterton, owners of the golf course, want to put a housing development on the golf course property, which covers 200 acres. Fisher said she has spoken with the developers and they appreciate the input received and want to go forward. At a May meeting of the Advisory Plan Commission, three members raised questions about the proposed housing density. The fiscal plan part of the annexation projects what the costs would be for the town to serve the new property. PMM Chesterton will pay for the contract with the London Witte Group. Councilman Dane Lafata, D-3rd, said he believed that the 70 acres should have been within the town limits years before when the Brassie Golf Club was operating.
Chicago Tribune
04-07-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Chesterton takes initial steps for pedestrian safety at downtown tracks
The new parking lot on Grant Avenue is popular with those visiting the European Market on Saturdays in downtown Chesterton, but now there are heightened concerns about the safety of pedestrians when crossing railroad tracks on nearby Calumet Road. It's why the town is considering both long-term and short-term measures to improve pedestrian safety around the 60-space lot. Assistant Town Engineer Matt Gavelek at the Redevelopment Commission meeting in June presented three options, developed by the Lochmueller Group, which the town retained, that would help direct pedestrians safely across the tracks. The Redevelopment Commission, made up of all five Town Council members, may decide at the July 14 meeting. The most extensive and expensive option would be Z-gates. A Z-gate crossing would cause pedestrians to walk zig-zag when approaching the tracks, forcing pedestrians to look both ways while crossing. The Norfolk Southern Railroad has two sets of tracks at the crossing, so there are occasions when two trains simultaneously pass each other. A 70-year-old bicyclist was killed at the Calumet Road crossing while two trains were passing each other on Feb. 28. The Z-gates would either be set up perpendicular to the railroad tracks or parallel to Calumet Road, Gavelek said. Gavelek said the cost would be around $350,000, and it could take up to two years for construction to occur, in part because of the railroad permit process. The more economical option would be to place a concrete barrier on Calumet Road to funnel pedestrians to a striped crosswalk at the track. Gavelek said that option could be finished within a year and would cost $125,000. Councilman James Ton, R-1st, said that they need the time to consider the options. 'I would like it done sooner, but I would want to have it done safe,' Ton said. Meanwhile, the town of Chesterton has taken some temporary steps to ensure pedestrian safety. After the Grant Avenue parking lot opened, some chose to go on private property and jaywalk across the tracks. Chesterton Street Department Superintendent John Schnadenberg has installed orange snow fencing from the west end of the Grant Street parking lot to 4th Street to prevent jaywalking across the railroad tracks. Signs direct pedestrians to cross at either Calumet Road or 4th Street. There are also signs on the fences that point those who park in the Grant Avenue lot to the Calumet Road crossing.
Chicago Tribune
19-06-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Burns Harbor receives a lone bid for land it owns and hopes to be developed
Burns Harbor hopes to sell land it owns off Ind. 149 so it can be developed, two years after a developer withdrew from a $32 million project in partnership with the town. The Redevelopment Commission on Wednesday opened a bid from one company to buy 25 acres the town owns at Haglund Road and Ind. 149. The property is located across the road from the current Town Hall. Sloane Avenue Group and Redstone Group of Grand Rapids, Michigan, proposed to pay $25,000 for the land and to assume all costs of infrastructure, engineering, soil analysis and potential wetland mitigation. It was the only company that responded to the town's Request for Offer (RFO). Commission members didn't discuss the proposal because they wanted time to review and evaluate it. The proposal will also be reviewed by the town's consultant, Tina Rongers, and Town Attorney Clay Patton. A decision may be announced at the Redevelopment Commission's July 11 meeting. Councilwoman Roseann Bozak, who is the commission president, wouldn't release a copy of the proposal, citing that it hasn't been reviewed yet by the legal counsel. Bozak said they are looking for a mix of residential and commercial on the land, like the town intended to develop with its prior partner, Holladay Properties. 'We intend on sticking with that,' Bozak said. She wouldn't share what the Sloane Avenue Group and Redstone Group are proposing, beyond taking care of infrastructure, engineering, soil analysis and potential wetland mitigation. A BP pipeline does go through the property. The relationship between Burns Harbor and any party that buys the property will be different than the last time. 'The project will be developer-driven as opposed to a public-private partnership,' Rongers said. Burns Harbor and Holladay Properties had originally reached their agreement in 2019, but plans were then delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Holladay Properties announced in June 2023 that they couldn't go forward because of economic conditions. As a result, the town had to decline a $960,000 state grant from the Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI), which would have been used to install underground utilities. The town also spent money on a property master plan, Rongers said. The plan's goal was to create a new town center, which would have been anchored by a 22,800-square-foot town hall and community center. Another key amenity was that a section of the Marquette Greenway trail would be built on the property. The development also would have had 40 single-family townhouses, five multi-family luxury apartment buildings with 138 units, along with 5,800 square feet of commercial space in the ground floors of three of the apartment units. During the past two years, a 0.8-mile section of the trail has been built on the property. The Marquette Greenway, when finished by multiple communities, will eventually stretch 60 miles from Chicago to New Buffalo, Michigan. Rongers said that the property is currently zoned residential. Burns Harbor will still retain a 4-acre parcel off of Ind. 149 neighboring the 25 acres to be sold. The vacant lot, which once was the location of a community center, could be the future location for a new town hall. The town in 2018 purchased 28 acres at Haglund Road and Ind. 149 for $250,000 from the Duneland School Corporation.
Chicago Tribune
02-06-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Burns Harbor trail efforts earn Marquette Greenway award
The nonprofit Greenways Foundation recently gave Burns Harbor its Outstanding Local Government award for its work on the Marquette Greenway. The Greenways Foundation champions Indiana's trail networks and highlights leadership and trail projects across the state. Mitch Barloga, trail czar at the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission and the foundation's board president, called Burns Harbor 'plucky' for its 'huge commitment to this quality of life issue.' 'Burns Harbor is a great example of how these trails can improve community stature in the region,' he said. Through the Town Council and the Redevelopment Commission, guided by consultant Tina Rongers, the town has been aggressive in building sections of the trail. 'It might be one of the nicest parts of the trail through there,' Barloga said. A section of the trail opened last year winds through an open area where the town hopes to attract a developer to bring residential and commercial development to the small town. 'It's really exciting to have the trail as a centerpiece for this,' Redevelopment Commission President Roseann Bozak said. 'Not many other towns and cities along the Marquette Greenway had the benefit of getting the trail first and being able to bring that into the development.' That's a good example of trail-oriented development, Barloga said. 'They really leaned into that heavily with this development.' 'We are still working on the final piece in Burns Harbor that will connect to the town of Porter,' Bozak said. 'We're really excited about that collaboration. It's not often that we get to collaborate with neighboring towns. Hopefully, this opens the doors to more collaboration in the future.' 'I believe the construction on this should begin in the fall, providing there are no hiccups along the way,' Bozak said. 'It's been a community ahead of the curve when it comes to quality-of-life issues,' Barloga said. Bozak said the award is appreciated. 'The town has had so many ups and downs in the past few years. It's really nice to see the hard work get recognized and rewarded.' Town Council President Jennifer McHargue said in a news release that the trail has been popular, improving the health of walkers and bikers. 'We are proud to offer regional trail amenities that people can enjoy just in town or venture into neighboring communities along southern Lake Michigan,' she said. When completed, the 60-mile trail will stretch from Chicago's South Side to New Buffalo. For Burns Harbor, funding the trail sections has been challenging. In 2014, the town began using tax increment financing to fund new planning and infrastructure projects. The town's master plan identified the Marquette Greenway as a key project. In 2017, the RDC received a $7 million state transportation grant to build the trail. However, the town couldn't gain right-of-way access from Norfolk Southern, so the town changed gears and used money from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and Indiana Department of Transportation. Between 2019 and 2021, Burns Harbor built the 1.5-mile segment from the western edge of town to Ind. 149, by Town Hall. The phase opened last year stretches from Ind. 149 to Indiana Dunes National Park. 'Collaboration and celebration are keys to our success,' Bozak said. 'In Burns Harbor, we persevere in the face of challenges because we love our community, which is our home. We are raising our families here and building amenities like trails in hopes the next generation of residents will stay and raise their families, too,' she said.
Chicago Tribune
15-03-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Valparaiso Redevelopment Commission terminates data center project option
The Valparaiso Redevelopment Commission listened to more than an hour of concerns and comments from residents Thursday concerning data centers, following the commission's unanimous vote to depart from plans to explore land use for a proposed data center. Director of Development George Douglas opened the meeting delivering a public statement to review the process and timeline of events that involved the possible date center development. 'On Tuesday Mayor Jon Costas announced the city would cease all efforts to explore a potential data center project and this decision was unanimously supported by the council,' Douglas said. 'This decision has been communicated with Agincourt and they've agreed to withdraw and release the option on the land. I would like to state this was never a done deal and the city had never approved the project, because a project had yet to be presented to the Redevelopment Commission or the city. 'Additionally, many of you have questions and concerns that have been expressed by the community and the citizens and were mutually shared by the city as well. This commission had not approved nor endorsed a data center, and all were in favor of starting a process through a request for public offering back in December of last year, with the full knowledge that a data center might be the potential use. The commission unanimously approved an option agreement at the January meeting. To be clear, this was not approval of the project but an affirmation to start a process to determine the feasibility of a potential project with conditions that had to be satisfied in public approvals.' In his statement address to the Redevelopment Commission and to the public, Douglas explained the non-disclosure agreement connected with the agreement option could be viewed 'as confusing' but is a common aspect of such large projects. Resident Chris Pupillo was one of the opening speakers among the residents who engaged in the public comment segment, which was moved to the start of the meeting's agenda. 'Whether it was a daycare center or a proposed data center, you the commission had an obligation to engage and inform the public before you started any process,' Pupillo said. 'That property was bought with taxpayer money and ARPA money from a result of the COVID pandemic, money that was intended for the health and well-being of the community. After the land wasn't going to be used as a sports complex, you should have engaged the community to get ideas for the best possible use of that land.' Duane Davison said the resulting dialogue and discontent among residents provides an opportunity for city leaders to 'regain lost trust.' 'It would be an understatement to say the community's trust has been undermined with the ill-advised proposed data center,' Davidson said. 'It's now a chance for this body to do some healing. I think the city should consider a donation of the land of question to the fine folks at the Shirley Heinze Land Trust.' Jeannine Hornback, owner of Little U Academy daycare center at 751 Eastporte Drive in Valparaiso, spoke at the March 10 Valparaiso City Council meeting and explained she wanted to address her further concerns by voicing her stance to the Valparaiso RDC. 'It's hard to swallow to know that there's a board of people in front of me that voted five to zero for a data center project,' Hornback said. 'Shame on you. You should have tabled it and let the community talk about it. You should listen to what the people want. It's scary to know you five people voted unanimously for this.'
