By KEVIN NEVERS

Over the objection of many property owners in the neighborhood, at least one resident, and a Town Council member, Chesterton will permit the Town of Porter to build—at its own expense—a pair of five-foot sidewalks on either side of Jackson Blvd. from the railroad grade-crossing all the way south to the Prairie Duneland Trail.

At its meeting Monday night, the council voted 4-1 to permit Porter to install those sidewalks as the link between its own Brickyard Trail—whose southern terminus will be just north of the grade-crossings, at the intersection of Wagner Road and Lincoln Street—and the Prairie Duneland Trail. Member Dave Cincoski, R-3rd, voted against the motion.

That vote brings to a more or less amicable resolution an issue which has divided Chesterton and Porter for some years now.

Originally Porter had sought to build an eight-foot hike-and-bike link on Jackson Blvd. but property owners and residents objected vociferously because it would have eliminated some on-street parking. Instead Chesterton wanted to see the link between the two trails built along the commercial strip of 15th Street. That option, however, Porter rejected for safety reasons: the three railroad grade-crossings which cut across 15th Street are widely separated, while those which cut across North Jackson Blvd. closely converge.

There the issue was left, until the council’s last meeting, when Porter Town Council member Bill Sexton proposed the pair of five-foot sidewalks, which will be built entirely within the 66-foot public right-of-way and should not affect parking at all. Street Commissioner John Schnadenberg, for his part, expressed the opinion that construction would probably not necessitate the removal of any trees either.

Sexton estimated the total cost of the project at a minimum of $72,170.21.

Cincoski, however—part of whose district falls on the west side of Jackson Blvd.—indicated that only one of the 13 property owners to whom he spoke about the project supported it.

Earlier in the meeting, one of those property owners, Martha Colvin, told the council that she opposed the proposed eight-foot sidewalk several years ago and that she remains opposed to a pair of five-footers. “I don’t understand why they have to go there,” she said.

Several members, on the other hand, couldn’t understand why Colvin wouldn’t want sidewalks. “I’m a little confused,” said Member Jeff Trout, R-2nd. “We’ve got an opportunity to put them in at no cost. It makes sense to me. It seems to me it would improve the owners’ property values to have sidewalks there.”

Trout noted as well that, under current Town Code, the developers of new subdivisions are required to build sidewalks, whether they want to or not.

The previous council, remarked Member Sharon Darnell, D-4th, “went through a lot of guff” forcing people to install them, however much they may have wanted a waiver from the Town Standard requiring a sidewalk in front of all new construction.

And Member Jim Ton, R-2nd, observed that there are residents only too happy to pay 50 percent of the cost of installing a new sidewalk in front of their homes, under the Street Department’s 50/50 program.

In the end the council gave Porter the green light, with the condition that it enters into a “hold-harmless” indemnification agreement with Chesterton.

Schnadenberg said that letters would be sent to property owners on Jackson Blvd. informing them of the project.

Police Chief George Nelson did put a kibosh on one misunderstanding related to the sidewalks. Under Town Code bicyclists will be permitted to ride on them, as bicyclists are permitted to ride on all sidewalks in Chesterton not actually in the business district.

Posted 4/15/2008