By VICKI URBANIK

The Porter County Council has once again refused to fund a study on land use planning along the county’s major thoroughfares, amid questions over what role the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission should play in the effort.

The proposal, however, isn’t dead but is expected to be presented again at next month’s meeting.

The corridor study has been under discussion for many months at the Porter County Plan Commission, which has wanted a separate plan in place to guide development along the county’s major roadways, such as Ind. 49 and U.S. 30. Last June, the plan commission sought a funding commitment from the council, but the council said it first wanted to see solid cost figures.

On Tuesday, Plan Commission Executive Director Robert Thompson returned with the recommendation for consultants and the prices, but the request for $350,000 was rejected on a 3-2 vote. The money is to come from the county’s income tax funds.

Porter County Council member William Carmichael, R-at large, and Dan Whitten, D-at large, both voted no. With members Jim Burge, R-at large, and Rita Stevenson, D-2nd, absent, the 3-2 vote meant that the request was denied, since four affirmative votes were needed. The three who voted in support of the plan were Robert Poparad, D-1st, Karen Conover, R-3rd, and Michael Bucko, D-4th.

Carmichael was the most critical of the proposal. He noted that much of U.S. 30 is in the city limits of Valparaiso and that Porter County already pays more than $100,000 in dues toward NIRPC. “How much money do they have in this plan?” he asked.

Thompson responded that NIRPC isn’t involved at all, since NIRPC, while focused on transportation issues, doesn’t get involved in local land use decisions. Carmichael quipped that once the plan is done, it could be taken to the bathroom “and you can put it to better use.”

Thompson defended the need for the plan, citing the most recent outcry by citizens over the proposed new Porter hospital at Ind. 49 and U.S. 6. He said that many residents have raised concerns that if the hospital is built at that site, it could open the door to even more development along U.S. 6.

Thompson said he doesn’t necessarily agree that that’s true, but that the corridor plan could identify how the adjoining land there and along other corridors should be planned.

But the discussion about the hospital prompted other concerns for Carmichael, who said he used to hunt on the property. “It’s a swamp,” he said. He also said Chesterton may end up annexing all the way to U.S. 6, citing this week’s offer by town officials to extend sewer service to the new hospital.

Accompanying Thompson in presenting the request was North Porter County Commissioner John Evans, who pointed out that when the county sold Porter Memorial Hospital, the agreement was that Porter would have to build a new hospital. He said the county can’t tell the hospital where to relocate and that the hospital picked the Liberty Township site based on demographic studies.

But Carmichael said there’s a possible recession looming. “I think we should be saving our money, instead of spending it on something like this,” he said.

Whitten said he shares Carmichael’s concerns about whether NIRPC should be involved. He said NIRPC may not get involved in land use decisions, but that it has no problem getting involved in land use matters related to the South Shore extension. He asked Thompson to get more information by the next meeting over whether NIRPC should help fund the study.

The corridor study would focus on land use and planning along U.S. 6, Ind. 49, Ind. 149, Ind. 130, Ind. 8, Ind. 2, U.S. 30 and Meridian Road, from Valparaiso to Chesterton. U.S. 12 and U.S. 20 are not included, since they are the focus of a separate plan, known as the Marquette Plan’s Phase II.

After being rejected by the county council last year, the plan commission put out requests for consultants, interviewed the firms, then selected their preferred consultants. Ratio Architects of Indianapolis was selected to do the corridor study for $245,000. A separate study that’s included in the request, for technical construction design standards, is proposed to be done by DLZ for $90,000.

Posted 2/27/2008