A new decorative pole for the traffic light at the intersection of Broadway and Calumet Road with a battery backup was one of four new projects given the go ahead at Monday’s Chesterton Redevelopment Commission meeting.

Chesterton Street Commissioner John Schnadenberg said the new pole is the last to be installed at the intersection after the street department made upgrades to the traffic stop last year. The new light will come with LED pedestrian crosswalk signals. Estimated cost: $14,295.

The redevelopment commission unanimously approved the project but it was more difficult to figure the location for the battery backup unit. Schnadenberg suggested placing the battery box 44 feet north away from the intersection on a grassy area in Thomas Centennial Park for reasons of safety and appearance.

“I think it would be aesthetically bad if we put everything on the corner,” he said.

Town Engineer Mark O’Dell said having the battery pack away from the crossing will protect it better. If someone were to knock over the pole, the battery power would still be operable.

Also on the list of projects for this season are two repaving jobs near the Ind. 49/Indian Boundary Road intersection. For Council Road improvements, a new paving job will cost approximately $78,700. Schnadenberg said his department also plans to repave Plaza Drive which will cost approximately $69,110.

Commission member Jeff Trout said he has observed many semis and buses using Plaza Drive to turn around to get back to the highways.

O’Dell said the department will also be doing a sidewalk replacement and a drainage tile installation beneath Lincoln Avenue and Calumet Road for approximately $15,000.

Total estimated costs of the projects: $177,105. The figure is about $50,000 less than projects approved for 2011.

Schnadenberg said the projects will be paid for with funds from the town’s TIF districts.

Giving approval with the rest of the Redevelopment Commission, member Jim Ton said the projects are “big problem areas” with “very pressing needs.”

“There’s no sense to delay it. These are all areas of need,” said Ton.

O’Dell said any money left over could be used for further improvements on Calumet.

Also on Tuesday, the commission did not take up a discussion on the 49 corridor project but Trout said the Porter County Council at their April 3 meeting will make the decision on whether to fund the county commissioners’ 2-1 vote pledging $900,000 to increase the capacity for utility pipes. The increased pipes would give the county the ability to bring sewer and water to developments south of the Toll Road along the east side of Ind. 49.

O’Dell also said he had nothing to report on the Calumet Connection and will know more when the budget for the 49 corridor is more definite.

Prior to the redevelopment commission meeting, members of the town’s stormwater board came together for a brief, three-minute meeting to approve bids for the cleaning of the Lincoln Ave. detention basin in the area of 23rd street and West Porter Ave.

Under recommendation by O’Dell, the board voted 3-0 for its “lowest and most responsive” bidder, R.V. Sutton Inc. to do the work for $51,200.

O’Dell told the Tribune he expects the firm will start the work by next week and could take approximately ten days to complete. The job will entail clearing away a lot of trees and debris within the basin, he said.

Posted 3/28/2012