By VICKI URBANIK

The Porter County Park Board moved forward Thursday with the possible acquisition of four properties, including a 238-acre parcel near South Haven, a 25-acre arboretum in Furnessville, and a 10-acre site east of Hebron.

The move was hailed by long-time park supporter and environmentalist Herb Read as the first tangible action take to acquire more park land “after all these years” of planning for more parks.

In four separate motions, the park board unanimously agreed to authorize attorney David Hollenbeck to make offers, based on the prices reflected in appraisals, on the following properties:

•A 238-acre parcel south of C.R. 700N in Portage Township that includes a stretch of Salt Creek. The property is south of South Haven and east of Salt Creek Commons, two heavily populated communities.

•A 25-acre site south of U.S. 20 on East Furness Road in Pine Township. The property has been described as an arboretum that boasts abundant plant diversity.

•A 10-acre parcel on Ind. 8 about three miles east of Hebron in Boone Township, adjacent to a subdivision.

•Two properties across the road from Sunset Hill Farm County Park at 780 and 782 Meridian Road. The tentative plans call for converting one house into a park office and the other into a residence for park staff.

No prices were released. Park board president Harold Erwin said that Hollenbeck will now negotiate for each property based on the appraisals and that when the acquisitions are finalized, the final prices will be divulged.

Park Board member Richard Maxey, who made the motion to proceed on all four parcels, half-joked after the votes: “We’re now broke again, and we’ll need more money.”

The park board now receives $400,000 a year through the county’s Economic Development Income Tax funds, specifically for land acqusition and other projects not included in the regular park department’s budget. Prior to last year’s CEDIT draw, about $465,000 had been accumulated, mainly for land acquisition.

The largest parcel, in Portage Township, was described at a Saturday public input session on the park’s new master plan as the top priority to pursue, given its potential for providing both active and passive recreation, in particular to the South Haven residents. The property has been described as consisting of about 150 acres of tillable land and 87 acres of lakes and wetlands.

Porter County Park Superinten-dent Ed Melendez said that given the size of the parcel, the acquisition will likely require financing. Exactly how the park board will proceed is still under discussion, he said.

Speaking from the audience, Read said even though the decision to act on the acquisitions is significant, he urges the park board to continue exploring additional park lands “considering how long it has taken to get to this point.”

Noting that he is a member of the Porter County Plan Commission, Read said that two or three new subdivisions are proposed at almost every meeting. Most of them win approval, he said, since they meet county regulations. But the continuing growth should be the impetus for the park board to acquire more land, he said.

“I see it disappear every day,” he said.

Illiana Expressway

The proposed Illiana expressway, planned to be a privatized toll road through Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties, came up at Thursday’s park board meeting after Melendez noted that the Illiana is not included in the park’s master plan.

His comments prompted two strong responses.

Porter County Park Board member David Canright said he finds it “almost criminal” that a bill is now pending in the Indiana Legislature to authorize the new expressway, even though the the project has not yet gone through proper study, including environmental impact studies.

Later, Read weighed in on the issue, noting that the Illiana is not in the county’s proposed new unified development ordinance, nor is it in the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission’s most recent transportation plan. He also noted that the Porter County chapter of the Izaak Walton League, of which he is president, recently passed a resolution against the Illiana.

Read went on to say that said he finds it “absolutely outrageous” that the plan is being “push through fast” without any coordination with county planning, park or other officials. Even if there is a need for another highway, which Read said he disputes, he said the use of condemnation should never be used for a private company’s gain, and that he doesn’t believe the state’s constitution intended such government action.

Before Read could continue, Erwin cut him off, saying that Read needs to take his concerns to a different body, not the park board.

Murray Demolition

Also Thursday, the park board moved forward with the demolition of the Murray House at Sunset Hill Farm.

The park board has been planning the structure’s removal for some time, after a study found that the costs for a renovation would have been exorbitant.

Melendez displayed a thick book outlining the bid specifications for asbestos abatement and demolition. The specifications were prepared by the DLZ engineering firm.

The board agreed to proceed with the demolition, setting April 5 as the bid opening and the notice to proceed in May.

Later, during the audience comments, Read said he understands the board’s reasoning for removing the house, but that he is saddened to see it go, having been a guest in the home of the late Col. Robert Murray, the former owner of Sunset Hill.

Posted 3/2/2007