By VICKI URBANIK

Residents living near the proposed Coffee Creek Crossing mall appealed to the Porter County Drainage Board this morning for help, saying that a big-box development would worsen an area already saturated with water.

In response, the drainage board unanimously directed Porter County Surveyor Kevin Breitzke to contact the Chesterton Stormwater Management Board to relay the concerns of the Liberty Township residents and to encourage ongoing dialogue between the town, the developers and the county board.

Drainage Board President Joe Harrison said because the proposed development is in Chesterton’s town boundaries, the county board may not have as much jurisdiction as the town. “But,” he added, “we can get involved.”

Urging the drainage board to do just that was Timothy Cole, a member of the Porter County Plan Commission and a nearby resident of Coffee Creek Crossing. Cole noted that the development would be in the town, but that the affected property owners live in unincorporated Liberty Township.

“These people have no representation in the town of Chesterton,” Cole said.

Coffee Creek Crossing is a proposed 50-acre commercial/retail mall proposed at the southeast corner of Ind. 49 and the Indiana Toll Road that might be anchored by a superstore like Wal Mart. About 300,000 square feet of retail space and a 43,000 square foot hotel are planned.

The neighbors who oppose the development focused on the stormwater plans and the potential for more runoff. When asked by one of the residents if the mall developers would need the drainage board’s approval, Breitzke said he isn’t sure at this point, since the plans are still in the preliminary stage and the developers have not yet asked for anything from the drainage board.

Preliminary plans appear to show the development’s retention pond draining into Johnson Ditch, which is a drain regulated by the county drainage board. Breitzke said the drainage board would need to give its approval in order for an outlet into the ditch, though he said that at this time, no request to do so has been made.

Drainage Board member Alan Hewitt proposed asking the Chesterton Stormwater Management Board to meet with the drainage board about the project, while Breitzke said he’d like to hear from the developers.

Resident Cheryl McCraw said the mall development consists of about 17 acres of blacktop surface. She said the area is already very low, as she questioned how the development would impact the residents’ wells and septic systems.

“This area cannot handle any more water,” she said, adding that the residents are concerned about the potential for polluted runoff into Johnson Ditch, which eventually drains into Coffee Creek.

“This might be a Chesterton development but could be a Porter County drainage problem,” she said.

Another resident, Dale Wingate, said the ditch is 8 to 10 feet deep in some areas and can’t handle any more water. Deborah Eversole said the water backs up into her woods, and that the area is so wet that she continually loses trees. She said while residents understand progress, “I think we need to do it with more regulations.”

Another resident, Mary Seguin, said the area is already saturated that a major new development would only make matters worse.

Hewitt, citing Indiana Code, said that if it becomes necessary to reconstruct a ditch, the cost is to be paid for by whoever is responsible for prompting the need for the work. Breitzke said typically, ditch reconstruction is paid for through an assessment of property owners, but he said in this case it would be “totally unfair” to assess all property owners if the new mall is the sole reason for any needed ditch work. Hewitt also said the drainage board can deny a connection to a regulated drain if it believes the runoff would result in more pollution.

The drainage board took note of the names and addresses of the residents in attendance and agreed that they will be notified when the board addresses the issue again.

Posted 12/12/2007.