By VICKI URBANIK

Porter County officials on Monday were presented with funding requests for three new projects aimed at enhancing recreation, tourism, economic development and an appreciation for the outdoors. Representatives from the Porter County Plan Commission, county parks, tourism and regional planning outlined the need for a total of $125,000 for the preliminary planning for the following:

•An extension of U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky’s Marquette Plan into all of northern Porter County, extending to the Michigan state line.

•An Ecology and Heritage Trail, which would connect the county’s ecologically significant sites via a road tour.

•An off-road hike-bike path that would connect existing bike trails.

The funding needed for the planning effort totals $125,000, which would come from the county’s share of income tax funds. The proposals were outlined at a joint meeting Monday of the Porter County Commissioners and Council attended by council members William Carmichael, R-at large, Robert Poparad, D-1st, Dan Whitten, D-at large, and Al Steele, R-3rd, and Commissioner President Robert Harper.

Whitten said he appreciated the discussion, since county officials were addressing long-term planning issues that would affect the county decades from now, especially in light of the growth now occurring. Commissioner President Robert Harper said the projects outlined represent quality of life issues that county officials need to address as they ponder the type of county they want Porter County to become.

Marquette Phase II

The first project outlined, called Marquette Phase II, would extend Visclosky’s Marquette Plan, which is now predominantly in northern Lake County and extends into Porter County only up to the Port of Indiana in Portage. The plan includes the goal of revitalizing sites along the Lake Michigan shoreline for public recreational use.

Reggie Korthals, environmental director for the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission, said the Marquette Plan extension into Porter County would take on a different feel than in Lake County, given the different land characteristics.

Communities were overwhelmingly in favor of seeing the Marquette Plan extended, she said. Those that have signed up as “stakeholders” in the Marquette extension are Chesterton, Porter, Burns Harbor, Dune Acres, Ogden Dunes, Beverly Shores, and The Pines, as well as communities in LaPorte County.

It would be up to the stakeholders to determine what types of projects to pursue, Korthals said, adding that so far the interest seems to be in projects promoting economic development. The selected projects would be able to access the $20 million annually in federal funds that Visclosky secured for the Marquette Plan, though at this point, the Marquette funds are available only for Porter and Lake counties.

Korthals noted that before determining what shoreline area projects to pursue, the planning needs to be done. The $50,000 requested of Porter County would serve as a local match to a $125,000 federal Coastal Management grant secured for the initial plans. LaPorte County is also putting up an in-kind match for its participation.

County Council member William Carmichael, R-at large, cited the fight years ago against the Coastal Zone Management proposal and cautioned against giving the federal government any control over development issues in northern Porter County. He said federal control would “severely restrict” any new development in north Porter County.

But Korthals said the Marquette extension does not involve giving up any local control.

Ecology Trail

The council was also asked to fund $50,000 for the planning of the Porter County Ecology and Heritage Trail, which is part of the destination audit conducted by the Porter County Convention, Recreation and Visitors Commission.

PCCRVC Executive Director Lorelei Weimer said Porter County is fortunate to have many visitors, with 3 million coming each year to the Indiana Dunes. But most dunes visitors stay only two to six hours and don’t venture out into other parts of the county.

The nature trail would help get these visitors to other Porter County attractions and would “tell the story” of the county’s ecology and heritage by linking the natural sites countywide. Weimer gave the example of a birding program that could begin at the Indiana Dunes and then take visitors to the Taltree Arboretum and other sites.

The funding requested would be used to conduct an assessment of the natural sites in the county and link them in a cohesive road tour. The second phase of the project could consist of interpretive signage at each site on the trail.

Bike Trail

Also in the works is a plan, estimated to cost $25,000, for an off-road hike and bike trail that could connect existing trails, such as linking Sunset Hill Farm County Park to the trails in Chesterton and beyond.

Both County Plan Commission Executive Director Robert Thompson and County Parks Superintendent Ed Melendez noted that the county’s existing bikeway system isn’t safe for family use, since it’s a shared-roadway system.

Carmichael said he isn’t against the bike path idea, but noted that the town of Porter has been struggling with its bike trail route for more than two years. He said the project to him seems to be a “huge undertaking.” He also emphasized that he doesn’t want to see any more railroads abandoned in Porter County for recreational trails.

Council member Robert Poparad, D-1st, noted that the county parks already get $400,000 a year in County Economic Development Income Tax funds and asked if it could squeeze another $25,000, especially since the county parks have not yet used the money for land acquisition as intended.

He said at the very least, the county parks could use the interest earned on the money in reserve.

Thompson suggested instead that both his department and the parks pool their CEDIT funds, since the trail project would be done in conjunction with the updates of the master plans in both departments. “I feel this is rather important,” he said. The county officials present were supportive of that idea.

Posted 2/14/2006