Tuesday the Porter Town Council gets the chance to seal the deal when it
comes to allowing Seven Peaks waterparks of Utah to purchase shuttered
Splash Down Dunes on U.S. 20.
The Porter Plan Commission last week voted 6-0 to recommend a needed
rezoning for the 32 acres involved as part of a rezone of additional parcels
in the Waverly Road/U.S. 20 area. Due to the town’s filing oversight in
2003, some land was left without a zoning designation.
The Plan Commission’s rules of procedure require an approximately six-week
delay before a commission recommendation goes to the Town Council for final
action, but in Seven Peaks’ case that rule was waived unanimously by
commission members.
Commission and Town Council member Greg Stinson said, “Since this is
basically correcting a problem the town created itself, all we’re doing is
rectifying an existing error in our zoning.”
Stinson also said town officials didn’t feel it was fair to Seven Peaks
owner Gary Brinton to delay his acquisition of Splash Down Dunes when the
zoning error was the town’s fault.
Brinton said he plans to invest $1.5 million to $2 million on upgrades at
Splash Down Dunes in addition to building a pedestrian tunnel under Waverly
Road, all to get the updated waterpark ready for a Memorial Day 2013 grand
opening.
At the special June 6 commission meeting, speakers hailed the Seven Peaks
purchase as a needed boost for the town as far as creating about 350 annual
jobs, increasing property-tax revenue and drawing compatible business
development to the area.
The Town Council meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the town hall. Other agenda
items include a vacation procedure for department heads as well as approval
of public-assembly permits for the Family 4th Fest parade, the Midnight
Parade, and the Chesterton Art Fair at Hawthorne Park.
In addition, an ordinance amending the definition of transient
vendor/itinerant merchant will be presented. Department heads will report
and the public may comment as the meeting begins under audience
participation.
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