Chesterton Tribune

 

 

Dunes Action plans fundraiser, hears how LWCF could impact pavilion plan

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Over 50 people attended the recent Dunes Action public meeting, held June 14 at the Library Service Center.

Attendees were informed of an upcoming fundraiser, a Community Fellowship Dinner, set for Wednesday, July 20, from 5 to 7 p.m., in St. Patrick¹s Chapel Hall (basement room), 638 N. Calumet Ave., Chesterton. Tickets will be $7 per person. The event will include food, friends, information, silent auctions, music and more. For more information, visit Dunes Action¹s Facebook page.

LWCF

Jim Sweeney, President of the Izaak Walton League Porter County Chapter, facilitated a question and answer session on the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) restrictions on development within the Indiana Dunes State Park.

Since the DNR previously accepted LWCF grant money for projects, further development within the park is governed by LWCF rules, he said. Prior approvals are needed for conversion into uses other than those that support public outdoor recreation. National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) rules must also be
followed.

If a conversion were to be allowed, a parcel of land of equal or higher value, similar natural value and environmental quality, use and acreage must be agreed on as a replacement. Reasonable replacement for choice Lake Michigan beach front property, which exists nowhere else in the entire state, seems unlikely, attendees agreed.

The National Park Service will decide whether the project fits within LWCF rules. A public comment period of at least 30 days will be required. Public comments and questions must be answered in depth.

Sweeney told the group that PEER, (Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility), which monitors government to hold it accountable, is interested in the proposed privatization and commercialization at IDSP. PEER is the group which helped expose the lead tainted water in Flint, Michigan.

Since work on the building was begun, and the comfort center was constructed before the conversion was evaluated or approved, a violation of the LWCF rules has already been committed, Sweeney said.

Comments

The proposed development, within 200 feet of the lakefront, seems to be in violation of the stated goals of the Marquette Plan, one attendee said.

DNR facilitated the project with no transparency and has said it won't cost taxpayers a dime, which is not technically true, since the NEPA review must be paid for by the DNR with taxpayer funds, another audience member said.

This most recent battle to protect the dunes reflects what is going on all over the U.S., said one DA supporter. Many State and National Parks are facing struggles against privatization and commercialization.

One long-time Izaak Walton League member lamented that it may be easier to push privatization through at the state level.

Members who saw garbage piles at the beach, early in the morning after a recent weekend, expressed frustration about the ample evidence that rules against drinking on the beach are not currently being enforced. They questioned how much worse it will be when alcohol is actually allowed and served there. With HB 1386 going into effect on July 1, citizens expressed fears about safety on the beach and in the parking lot.

Comfort Station Concerns

Concerns about the comfort station were shared, with regular beach users saying water is frequently on the floor and multiple toilet stalls are often non-functioning. The open air design, which faces north toward the wind and sand, might not have been built if public comment had been sought, one audience member said. People who regularly use the beach and are knowledgeable have been left out of the process.

One attendee pointed out that the pavilion will need a fire suppression system, likely requiring a reservoir for gravity flow, which would be difficult to keep working when the lake is frozen. A water tower may need to be placed on the roof, further impacting the view.

Volunteers recruited

Volunteers were sought for the July 20 fundraiser and more than 20 volunteers signed up to help. Another fundraiser is planned in September, which will be a ticketed event with a silent auction of larger items, including art. More information will be available on that event after July.

Handouts were made available to help attendees send letters to the editor to multiple news outlets. NO Banquet Center on the Beach buttons were available, along with yard signs. T-shirts are in the planning stage. Smaller NO Banquet Center on the beach flyers will be made available for car windows. Dunes Action supporters are urged to continue display of their yard signs.
As the meeting adjourned, attendees were urged to talk to their friends, family and neighbors, and spread the word that the proposed construction at the IDSP beachfront is not a done deal, and that the battle to protect the beach is not over.

The rules of the LWCF can be found at https://www.nps.gov/ncrc/programs/lwcf/manual/lwcf.pdf.

Dunes Action! is a grassroots, all-volunteer, non-partisan coalition opposed to the DNR plan to allow a private development company to build and operate a conference/banquet center on the lakefront at the Indiana Dunes State Park.

Donations by check may be sent to: PCC Izaak Walton League of America, 791 N. Calumet Ave., Valparaiso, IN, 46383. (Write Dunes Action in the memo line).

Donations and correspondence may also be sent to Dunes Action!, P.O. Box 2031, Chesterton, IN, 46304.

Find Dunes Action on Facebook and at http://www.dunesaction.org to learn more. Donations may be made online at that address.

The above was submitted by Dunes Action.
 

 
 
 

 

 

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