By PAULENE POPARAD

Eight citizens braved lake-effect snow squalls to attend a special Burns Harbor Advisory Plan Commission meeting Wednesday called to discuss updating the town’s master plan.

Unfortunatey, only two of seven Plan Commission members attended and the meeting was canceled after waiting 30 minutes.

President Jeff Freeze apologized and told the audience the master plan will be added to the 7 p.m. March 3 commission agenda, inviting them to return. “We’ll begin the process. Nothing will happen immediately. This will be a long process if the commission decides to pursue it.”

Agreed commission member Jim Meeks, “This will take months.” Absent were members Terry Swanson, Cliff Fleming, Virginia Bain, Mike Perrine and Jim McGee.

Meeks said the most recent 85-page master plan was done in 1995. It was updated in 2003 deleting references to proposed upgrades and expansion of sanitary sewer and municipal water services, both nearing completion throughout the town.

Somewhat controversial at the time, the 1995 plan recommended extending Meadowbrook Road east to North Babcock Road and Stanley, Coan and Castle streets north to Meadowbrook. None have been done. The goal was to develop defined neighborhoods and create better access.

Developing a town trail system, eliminating spot zoning, enhancing town entrances and incorporating greenspace around industrial areas as buffers also were recommended. The 1995 plan cited as one of the town’s more noticeable shortcomings a lack of a downtown district and suggested one be developed just north of U.S. 20 near Indiana 149.

Last year some residents proposed a U.S. 20 town center west of Indiana 149 and last month the town’s Redevelopment Commission viewed a conceptual drawing only of a site on the east side of Indiana 149 including the abandoned Standard Plaza and surrounding area.

Burns Harbor was incorporated as a town in 1967 with the first 38-page master plan drafted in September, 1970 before Interstate 94 was completed through town and its children attended the Westchester Township School Corp.

Overly optimistic, the 1970 master plan predicted “Burns Harbor can expect a future population of nearly 10,000 by the year 1985.” New housing, commercial areas, streets, utilities and community facilities must be planned for by an entire community aware of the changes about to take place, urged the plan prepared by an Indianapolis-based consultant.

Several of the plan’s 1970 observations are still relevant today. It cites the “usual conflict arising between those residents wishing to retain the existing rural atmosphere and those concerned with accomodating the inevitable economic development of the area and its growth.” Also noted was the “almost total lack of commercial development designed to serve everyday needs (and) retail and professional offices.”

Thirty-eight years later the land-use observations that its major highways have a dividing effect on the community and that there is a heavy volume of traffic in town during mill shift changes are still valid.

The 1970 master plan map to a large extent mirrors development as it has occurred with two glaring exceptions: anticipating only residential development south of the CSX Railroad (now primarily industrial along both sides of Indiana 149) and construction of a $300,000 community golf course in 1985 on the town’s far east side because the anticipated impact on recreation demand would be considerable.

Posted 2/21/2008