Chesterton Tribune

 

 

Redevelopment Commission OKs repaving of South Calumet south of Porter Ave

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By KEVIN NEVERS

The Chesterton Redevelopment Commission has greenlighted this season’s TIF projects--those located in the town’s tax increment financing districts and paid for with TIF moneys.

At the commission’s meeting Monday night, and at Street Commissioner John Schnadenberg’s recommendation, members voted unanimously to approve these three projects:

* The re-paving of South Calumet Road from Porter Ave. south to the Chesterton Post Office. Schnadenberg specifically recommended the removal of the existing three to four inches of asphalt, down to the concrete subsurface; laying one inch of asphalt, then a Tensar fabric on top, then two inches of binder on top of that and a final 1.5 inches of surface. The reason for the Tensar fabric sandwiched in between: to prevent “reflective cracks” from emerging in the surface coat, caused by pre-existing cracks in the concrete. Schnadenberg was unable to say when that concrete was poured but it goes back to the days when Calumet Road was Old 49, the through-route to Valparaiso. Estimated cost of the project: $139,950, less $40,195 from a Community Crossings state infrastructure grant, for a total out-of-pocket to the town of $99,755.

* The continuation of the installation of the decorative street-sign pole wraps on Indian Boundary Road east of Ind. 49. “They’ve been working out pretty well,” Schnadenberg said. “They look nice.” Estimated cost: $9,000.

* And sidewalk repairs and replacement on South Calumet Road from Porter Ave. to the Chesterton Post Office. In some places tripping hazards will be ground down, Schnadenberg said. In others, sections will simply be replaced. Estimated cost: $10,000.

There are other paving projects, on the other hand, which Schnadenberg said will need to be done soon. Not necessarily this year, but perhaps next, if funds should be available:

* Sidewalk Road from Kelle Drive to 200E. Estimated cost: $110,000. This roadway, Schnadenberg noted, took the brunt of the heavy equipment during the construction of the Urschel Laboratories Inc. facility in Coffee Creek Corner. Yet with the Eagles Crossing apartment complex project just north of Sidewalk Road and the Morgan’s Corner build-out south of it, Sidewalk Road continues to bear a significant amount of construction traffic, Schnadenberg said, so the best bet is probably to wait until next year anyway.

* Dickinson Road from East Porter Ave. south to 1100N. Estimated cost: $120,000.

* Dickinson Road from 1100N south to Sidewalk Road. Estimated cost: $112,000.

* Sand Creek Drive North south from Sandpiper Drive to Michael Drive. Estimated cost: $55,000.

Proposed Amendment to Fiber-Optic Agreement Rejected

In other business, members voted unanimously to reject an amendment to the commission’s fiber-optic agreement, proposed by the municipal network’s contracted operator, Nitco.

Under the proposal, the municipal network’s original tap-on location to a pre-existing network run by Spread Networks between New York City and Chicago would have been abandoned--near the water tower on Broadway, by the fire station--in favor of two other connectivity points, one at Meridian Road and C.R. 1050N, the other at Ind. 49 and C.R. 950N.

Both of the latter are already in Nitco’s own fiber optic service infrastructure and according to the proposal tapping into these two would have saved Nitco an immediate $80,000 in capital expenses as well as operational savings of approximately $2.5 million over the next 25 years.

The commission opted to reject Nitco’s proposal, however, on the grounds that there would be no tangible benefit to the town. “I would prefer we don’t make any changes,” President Jeff Trout said. “There’s no cost saving to the town. There would be savings but not passed on to the town.”

Member Emerson DeLaney concurred. “We don’t want to accept this,” he said.

Change Orders

Meanwhile, the commission approved change orders for three separate projects:

* One in the amount of $9,800 submitted by DLZ, the contracted engineer for the East Porter Ave. culvert project, for additional culvert and roadway design as well as plan revisions, in order to avoid the necessity of re-locating an existing sanitary force main serving the Indian Boundary Conservancy District. In addition to an earlier change order, DLZ’s contract price now totals $121,165, versus the original price of $98,065. Half the cost of this project will be defrayed by a 50/50 Community Crossings state infrastructure grant.

* One in the amount of $9,835.32 submitted by Walsh & Kelly, the general contractor for last year’s Gateway Blvd. reconfiguration project. In addition to previous change orders, Walsh & Kelly’s contract price now totals $192,152.11, versus the original price of $168,948.

* And one in the amount of $18,581.20 submitted by CSU, the contracted installer of the town’s fiber optic network, for unexpected boring. In addition to previous change orders, CSU’s contract price now totals $1,371,962.56, versus the original price of $1,233,673.91.

 

Posted 4/25/2018

 
 
 
 

 

 

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