By PAULENE POPARAD

A regional committee recommended Wednesday that when evaluating future transportation projects, more weight should be given to discouraging urban sprawl than to whether a project is identified in an existing comprehensive/land use plan.

The Regional Transportation Plan 2030 Working Group of the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission engaged in a lengthy discussion over the criteria to be used when ranking projects for funding. NIRPC channels applications for funding from state and federal agencies.

NIRPC currently is drafting a 2030 strategic plan for transportation improvements in Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties. Officials hope to have a final draft plan ready for comment this summer.

The working group’s draft ranking criteria initially addressed potential development of environmentally sensitive or agricultural areas, but Sandy O’Brien of the Duneland Sierra Club said serious water quality issues are involved when allowing new subdivisions to rely on well and septic alone. Also mentioned were small package treatment plants.

Denarie Kane of Hobart asked if O’Brien were discouraging septic-dependent development. If so, said Tim Brown of Cedar Lake, that argument should take place at the local and county plan commission levels.

Brown later said thousands of lots are being developed in the three counties without adequate road improvements first being installed. “Now we’re being forced to address transportation problems that already exist.”

“I don’t think we should argue the battle’s already been lost,” said David Wright of Gary.

Nancy Pekarek of Valparaiso said if a county or municipality is asking for $1 million for a transportation project, they should have an updated comprehensive plan in place. In the absence of a regional land use plan, she said, “I don’t think we can willy nilly start picking out some issues.”

The working group decided that for the purposes of applying for grants through NIRPC, a county/municipality should have an updated post-1990 comprehensive plan.

Wright asked whether NIRPC should be put in a position to say they don’t agree with someone’s comprehensive plan. Brown said NIRPC can let it be known that developing vacant area inside a municipality’s boundaries is preferable to annexing or assisting new outside lands for development.

In other business, the working group set April 28 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at NIRPC, 6100 Southport Rd. in Portage, as a public open house in round one of public comment solicitation on the 2030 planning efforts to-date. At least four other open houses are planned across the region in the next three weeks. NIRPC officials also are available to make presentations to community groups.

Purpose of the outreach efforts are public education on the transportation planning process in general, and on the specific long-range planning process currently underway. The public also may comment on the proposed 2030 goals and objectives; review and comment on the draft population and employment forecasts to be used in the 2030 planning process; and suggest new transportation projects.

In addition to public involvement and developing criteria for receiving and ranking future projects, regional leaders also are working on maps of the existing road network and committed projects that are likely to occur.

Added to the latter list Wednesday, pending final NIRPC approval, was Porter County Road 300W, better known as Indiana 149, which is slated for extension from Indiana 130 to U.S. 30.

Right-of-way acquisition was in progress, however, escalating prices and decreasing state and county funds have threatened the project.

Other 2030 activities under way are finalizing the urbanized area boundaries, which determine project funding eligibility and construction standards.

The latest map attempts to connect stand-alone urban areas with larger urban centers to reflect 1990 growth patterns as well as to predict the logical future path growth would take.

Areas between Valparaiso and Chesterton, and Crown Point and Cedar Lake, now would be considered urban if the draft map is adopted. Said Wright, “Let the record show Wheeler is now an urban area.” Pekarek said expansion of the urban boundaries is for transportation planning connectivity, not to create sprawl. The boundaries reflect, not encourage, growth, she added.

Brown said designating Cedar Lake as urban rather than rural will prevent it from participating in rural assistance programs. “It completely screws up our ability for us to do things for infrastructure.”

The 2030 committees that report to the working group also are establishing a map of environmental justice zones showing concentrations of minority and/or low-income populations that will be used to evaluate the fairness of the 2030 plan.

The final map is awaiting some revision of low-income areas when additional 2000 census data is released.

The working group will meet May 7 at 10 a.m. at NIRPC to hear a progress report on the 2030 planning efforts.

Posted 4/18/2003