By VICKI URBANIK

The Duneland School Board agreed Monday to purchase land at the northeast corner of C.R. 1050N and 250E in Jackson Township for new school facilities, with the overall plan to include a new town park.

The school board unanimously entered into a purchase agreement, pending the finalization of funding, to acquire two parcels totaling 37.8 acres for $756,000, and to contribute to the town of Chesterton an additional $200,000 toward the development of a park sandwiched between the two school parcels.

The property is being acquired from ATG Jackson Creek LLC, the same principles developing the 362-lot Sand Creek Farms located at 250E and the terminus of Porter Avenue. In addition, the developers own a nearby 80 acres, located on the south side of CR 1050N east of 250E, which is also proposed for a new subdivision.

The Duneland Schools’ acquisition involves three separate parcels. The westernmost one consists of 15.8 acres that has 1,163 feet of frontage on 250E and 500 feet of frontage on 1050N. Adjacent to that parcel is the 20 acres that ATG Jackson Creek intends to donate to the town for the new park. Immediately to the east of that is another 22 acres to be acquired by the Duneland Schools.

Duneland School Board Attorney Michael Harris said although the plans are not definite, the property to be acquired could be developed into two separate schools, one an elementary school and one for higher grades.

The entire acreage has been appraised at $20,000 an acre.

Harris said that under a separate agreement with the town, the Duneland Schools would contribute funding totaling one-half the appraised value toward the new park, or a total of $200,000.

The park would be owned by the town, but under the plan, the school corporation would maintain the park and use the park land for the school playground, ball fields and the like. The park would then be open to public use when not in use by the Duneland Schools, Harris said.

The reason why Duneland Schools would contribute financially toward the town park is a matter of equity, Harris said, since the plans would give the school system the right to use the park land. “It’s like a fully paid up right of use, and that has value.”

The Jackson Creek developers have not yet donated the 20 acres for use as a town park. Harris said if for some reason that property is not donated for use as a park, the Duneland Schools would have the right of first refusal; if the developers get an offer from a third party, the school corporation would have the right to purchase the land at that price.

The 20-acre park property has been publicly discussed before. Back in August of last year, the Chesterton Town Council contracted with consultants Lehman & Lehman to develop a master plan for a large park consisting of 60 acres on the east side of Ind. 49.

Though the actual park site was not identified at the time, the 20-acre parcel to be donated by Sand Creek Farms was mentioned as property that would “jump start” the development of larger park facilities on the east side.

Harris began his presentation by noting that for more than a year, he has been researching possible school sites and, as directed by the school board, to focus on the east side of Chesterton due to the anticipated growth in that area.

He noted that in addition to Sand Creek Farms, the school property in question is in the proximity of Sand Creek and the nearby Coffee Creek development, as well as the possible new subdivision on the south side of 1050N.

A pipeline runs through the property, but Harris said the new school could be built on the northern end to avoid the pipeline. The pipeline runs diagonally on the western parcel and on a small portion on the eastern parcel.

The school board’s decision to enter into a purchase agreement is contingent upon finalization of funding.

The school board agreed to advertise for an additional appropriation -- to be presented at the June 2 meeting -- totaling $1.3 million. That appropriation would include the $756,000 purchase price of the east and west parcels, the $200,000 contribution to the town for the new park, as well as part of the costs for another different project involving the replacement of the exterior panels at Liberty Intermediate School.

The school board’s support of acquiring the land comes just a few days after the Duneland Key Communicator Committee agreed that the Duneland Schools needs to build a new elementary school, as well as renovate Liberty Intermediate School to accommodate growth and additional support programs.

The committee is expected to present its recommendation to the school board at the June 2 meeting.

The committee has not specified where it thinks a new school should be built, but the consensus at last week’s meeting was that the new elementary school should be in the Liberty Intermediate School district, since LIS is the one school with the most available space for growth.

Capacity statistics that the committee used in its research showed that Liberty Elementary is now functioning at 108.9 percent capacity -- the most crowded of the five elementary schools. The second most crowded school is Brummitt, at 103.9 percent functional capacity, followed by Bailly at 99.2 percent, Yost at 92.8 percent and Jackson at 87.6 percent.

At the same time, the other schools, with the exception of LIS, are also above the ideal capacity levels. Westchester Intermediate is functioning at 98.2 percent capacity, Chesterton Middle School at 95.1 percent and Chesterton High School, 102.3 percent. LIS, meanwhile, has the lowest functional capacity at 68.3 percent.

Last year, the school board acquired 26 acres adjacent to the Liberty Schools. No specific plans for that property have been made yet.

Harris said that if the additional appropriation is finalized, the closing of the ATG Jackson Creek property is anticipated by the end of June. The additional appropriation would come out of the Duneland Schools’ Rainy Day Fund.

Other Projects

The school board agreed to seek bids to replace the exterior panels on LIS. The 26-year-old material is a product used to cover up outside finishes, and over the years has been patched and re-coated to the point that it now needs an overhaul, said Duneland Director of Special Services Mark McKibben.

The LIS panel project would be funded through the Duneland Schools’ Capital Project Fund and the additional appropriation approved for the land acquisition. The initial estimate of $225,000 is expected to end up higher.

Also Monday, the school board approved a bid for $430,000 from Indiana Mechanical Inc. to replace classroom air units at LIS, a project that should improve the air quality in the school, McKibben said.

The bid was the lowest of five received.

Near the end of Monday’s school board meeting, School Board President John Marshall commented on all the high-end projects approved. “We spent a lot of money tonight,” he said.

Posted 5/6/2008