Porter County Fair
Board President Mark Baird told the Commissioners during their meeting
Wednesday that his board has over $200,000 in surplus money it is willing
provide for maintenance and upgrades at the fairground facilities, located
at the Expo Center.
Baird said that the
first priority would be to repair water lines in the campground area.
The board would
also like to see a new gate system put in at the livestock show arenas,
which 4-H would also be willing to chip in for. An additional grant of
$5,000 from Kankakee Valley REMC is another potential source for that
project, Baird said.
If possible, the
fair board is hoping to improve its restrooms near the grandstand and the
Buggy Wheel Pavilion with new fixtures and countertops before the Fair
starts in July, which Baird said could cost about $50,000 per restroom.
Among other goals,
Baird said fair officials are trying to put in a full glass door at the Expo
East, getting rid of the hanging plastic that patrons walk through.
Lastly, Baird said
that the fair board wishes to get the ball rolling on building a new
building at the fairgrounds for offices and meeting space. He said the
County Extension Office could move their operations there instead of being
at the County Administration Building. The space would be leased to the
County by the Fair Board.
Baird estimates the
price tag for the building would be $1.2 million.
Commissioner Jeff
Good, R-Center, made the suggestion of building the space out in the Expo
Center itself. Baird said the challenge would be to not take away exhibit
space.
Good, whose
district includes the fairgrounds, agreed to take charge of working with the
fair board to see how the two entities can work together.
Baird said he is
concerned though that new renovations would take up parking spaces which are
needed on sellout nights.
Commissioner
President John Evans, R-North, said there may be additional acreage to the
east the County could purchase or acquire to expand parking.
Calumet Trail
wetlands
In other business,
the Commissioners agreed unanimously to a memorandum of understanding with
the National Parks Service to allow work on mitigating and restoring
wetlands along the portion of the Calumet Trail that crosses through the
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.
Plan Commission
Executive Director Bob Thompson said the section of work will be along the
first phase of reconstruction of the trail, between Mineral Springs Rd. and
Tremont Rd., which has experienced flooding problems in the past. The trail
will be raised and paved with asphalt.
Permits from the
Army Corps of Engineers will be acquired before restoration work can begin.
Plans for the
Calumet Trail enhancements began in 2012, Thompson said, which included a
licensing agreement for trail use with NIPSCO which owns an easement to the
west.
The County last
summer entered into an agreement with the Town of Porter to turn over
$400,000 in RDA funds for the upgrades.
Aukiki Park
rezoning
The Commissioners
voted 3-0 on a first reading to rezone approximately 64 acres between CR
650S and CR 700S along Ind. 49 in Pleasant Township to Parks and Recreation
(P2) for the proposed Aukiki County Park, which is to include a number of
baseball/softball and soccer fields.
One neighbor
remonstrated during the public hearing, citing concerns of increased traffic
and lower property values the park may bring, while another resident
complained that he hasn’t been able to get definite answers about the layout
of the park.
Three more speakers
voiced their support for the planned additional sports fields in the county.
“There is a
tremendous need for this type of space. Kids today don’t play unless it’s
organized,” said Valparaiso resident Bryan McFadden, who coaches a youth
soccer league.
County Park Board
president Rich Hudson from the floor said that residents with questions
about the park can contact the Parks and Recreation office. Engineering and
landscape design will be reviewed later at a County Plan Commission meeting,
where there will also be public hearings, he said.
Support for a south
county park was echoed by County Commissioners Laura Shurr Blaney, D-South,
and Jeff Good, R-Center.
Blaney said it will
“keep kids involved and busy” and away from the pressures of drug use.
Good said the park
layout will depend on what kind of funding is available in the years ahead.