John Nekus’
proposed planned unit development--dubbed Duneland Prairie and slated for
construction behind the Chesterton Post Office--is dead.
At its meeting
Monday night, the Chesterton Town Council voted unanimously to reject the
PUD ordinance, on the Advisory Plan Commission’s 5-2 recommendation in
March.
The issues, as
Member Jim Ton, R-1st, enumerated them on Monday, were simply not adequately
addressed by Nekus: drainage, density, and traffic. “We had hoped (the plan
of development) could be amended but it looks like those amendments have not
been made,” he said.
Member Emerson
DeLaney, R-5th, for his part recalled advice given late last year to the
owner of property on 1100N, when annexation of the property was being
discussed. The plan of development “is not beneficial to the town,” DeLaney
remembered telling the property owner at the time. “Go back and re-work it.
And then come back to us.” That same advice was given to Nekus, DeLaney
said, who “did re-work it but not sufficiently. There were too many
variances from Town Code.”
Linda Vogt, a
resident of Richter Street--which Duneland Prairie would have bordered to
its north--did want to know whether Nekus can return to the Plan Commission
with another plan.
“He does have that
option,” DeLaney replied. “He can come back and present a new plan. But
again, it is a very long process. A very long process.”
Associate Town
Attorney Julie Paulson glossed DeLaney slightly. Nekus can return to the
Plan Commission as soon as he wishes, but the plan of development would need
to be “substantially different.”
“It is not our
problem,” DeLaney said. “He paid for the property. Make it right.”
“If the pencil
isn’t sharpened down enough, it may have the same fate,” Ton suggested.
Bob Sexton, a
resident of Westchester South--which Duneland Prairie would have bordered to
its west--wanted to know why the property in question was zoned B-3 in the
first place. “What’s the history?”
No one on the
council was able to answer that question, except to say--as Ton did--that
the B-3 zone extends west from the Post Office on South Calumet Road.
Tom Albano--whose
home on Primrose Circle would have backed right onto Duneland
Prairie--acknowledged that everyone who lives in his neighborhood
understands that the property to the east is zoned B-3. But nobody can tell
them why. In any case, Albano expressed his gratitude to the Town Council
and the Plan Commission. “We’d like to thank you guys, because that
development back there would really have hurt our quality of life.”
“Too much stuff was
going into too small a space,” Tom Byrnes added. “You did the right thing.”