By KEVIN NEVERS

The Town of Chesterton needs to acquire nine parcels of property, with a total appraised value of $159,507, for right-of-way in Phase II of the South Calumet Business District Project.

At its meeting Monday night, the Redevelopment Commission voted 3-0 to endorse a resolution which authorizes offers to be made on those parcels. Members Dave Cincoski and Josh Lantz were not in attendance. At its own meeting later in the evening, the Town Council unanimously adopted that resolution.

Under that resolution offers will be made on the following parcels:

•Parcel 1, owned by First Source Bank, successor to First National Bank of Valparaiso, valued at $15,250.

•Parcel 3, owned by MNB Development Corporation, valued at $1,900.

•Parcel 5, owned by Tech Credit Union, legally known as Tech Credit Union Corporation, an Indiana not-for-profit, valued at $24,450.

•Parcel 24, owned by Wilbert Hamstra Inc., valued at $1,900.

•Parcel 26, owned by James and Penny Biddle, valued at $2,200.

•Parcel 27, owned by Kostis and Marika Christodoulakis, valued at $800.

•Parcel 29, owned by Lois Hageman Crawford as to an undivided 1/3 interest, Nancy Ann Hageman and Beth Ann Hageman, as tenants in common as to an undivided 2/3 interest, valued at $47,085.50.

•Parcel 33, owned by Mary L. Davies Living Trust, valued at $55,571.50.

•And Parcel 44, owned by James and Mary Jeselnick, valued at $10,350.

For Phase I of the South Cal project the town acquired a total of eight parcels for right-of-way: the largest valued at $184,000, the smallest at $200, and totaling $336,675.50.

Right-of-way for the whole of the project will cost the town a total of $496,182.50.

Phase I of the project—to be completed this year—consists chiefly of a connector road between 100E and South Calumet Road, to be aligned with the entrance to Round the Clock; a portion of the intersection of 100E and Beverly Drive; and a stormsewer link to an existing detention basin on Beverly Drive.

Phase II of the project—to be completed in 2009—consists of the completion of the intersection of 100E and Beverly Drive; the improvement of the intersection of 100E and 1100N; the widening and flattening of 1100N; and street- and landscaping.

Members did vote 3-0 to authorize Town Engineer Mark O’Dell to go out for bid for Phase II on or before Oct. 27, with bids to be opened on Nov. 24. As part of that vote members also authorized O’Dell to separate from the bid specs all landscaping, with the understanding that this final component of the project—likely not to be done until fall 2009—will be let early next year so as to get the best bids possible from landscape contractors.

Project Update

Meanwhile, construction on the project should resume soon, now that a solution has been found to the problem posed by an unlocated Verizon fiber-optic duct bank uncovered during the installation of the stormsewer link along Beverly Drive. New concrete piping will be necessary, however, and while that piping has been ordered and should be delivered soon, Town Council President Jim Ton, R-1st, wanted to know what will happen to the piping already bought and paid for.

Some of that piping may be usable in Phase II, replied Mike Jabo of DLZ, the contracted project engineer.

Ton did have a few other questions. When exactly will the house—located immediately south of Centier Bank—be demolished to make way for the connector road?

O’Dell said that electric service to the house has been disconnected and possibly natural gas service as well, although he needs to confirm the latter with NIPSCO.

What’s being done, Ton also asked, about the potholes at the intersection of 100E and Beverly Drive?

O’Dell said that he would get with Street Commissioner John Schnadenberg and try to get those holes patched.

Claims

Members voted 3-0 to approve the following claims: $3,200 from Redelman & Associates and $5,500 from Vail Appraisal Group, both for the appraisal of property needed for right-of-way; $67,493.51 from Walsh & Kelly Inc., the project’s general contractor; and $3,195 from Harris Welsh & Lukmann.

Posted 9/24/2008