By KEVIN NEVERS

Indian Boundary Road is going to get a new face this year, courtesy of the Chesterton Redevelopment Commission.

At its meeting Monday night, the commission voted 4-0 to approve an additional appropriation of $250,000 in tax increment financing funds to re-pave Indian Boundary Road from Ind. 49 west to North Calumet Road. Member Dave Cincoski was not in attendance.

Street Commissioner John Schnadenberg asked for the appropriation, noting that Indian Boundary Road was “originally built” in 1989. “So we’ve gotten several years out of it,” he said. “But it’s in pretty bad shape.”

TIF funds may be used to finance any public works project so long as it’s within the TIF district, and Indian Boundary Road is.

Included in the project will be approximately 900 feet of Woodlawn Ave. approaching Indian Boundary Road. Not included, Schnadenberg said, will be the actual intersection of Indian Boundary Road and North Calumet Road, which Indiana-American Water Company might excavate this year for the installation of a water line along North Calumet Road.

Schnadenberg did say that he doesn’t expect the project to cost quite $250,000. “We’ll do our best to stay under that amount.”

In 2007 the commission similarly approved an expenditure of $125,000 in TIF funds to supplement Schnadenberg’s paving budget.

Bid Schedule

In other business, members voted 4-0 to advertise for bids on Phase I of the South Calumet Business District project in time to open them at a special meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. April 14. The bid will be awarded at their regular meeting two weeks later, at 6 p.m. April 28.

Phase I consists chiefly of the connector road linking South Calumet Road and C.R. 100E and an upgraded stormwater drainage system. Town Engineer Mark O’Dell has said that the intersection of South Calumet Road and 1100N could be closed permanently anytime after the completion of Phase I.

Phase II is scheduled for completion in 2009.

Mike Jabo of DLZ, the town’s contracted project engineer, told the commission that 95 percent of the construction plans for Phase I have been delivered to O’Dell and that the erosion control plan should be finished in a week. Meanwhile, Jabo said, appraisers have made initial contact with the owners of all property which will need to be acquired for right of way in Phase I.

Claims

Members also voted 4-0 to approve the following claims: Ticor Title, $7,940; Harris Welsh & Lukmann, $2,964.42; H.J. Umbaugh & Associates, $20,000; DLZ, $30,317.50; Anton Insurance Agency, $185.

Posted 2/26/2008