It’s official: The 104 acres at the northwest corner of U.S. 6 and Ind. 49 in Liberty Township are now rezoned to Institutional, in anticipation of a new Porter hospital relocating to that site.

The Porter County Commission-ers on Tuesday upheld their 2-1 vote from last month to rezone the property from residential. As with the earlier vote on first reading, Porter County Commissioners Robert Harper and John Evans voted yes on second reading, and Carole Knoblock voted no.

Knoblock continued her opposition Tuesday by saying that a new hospital is definitely needed, but not at that location. She said the property contains weltands and a stretch of the Swanson-Lamporte Ditch.

“I just feel it’s the wrong place,” she said.

When the rezoning first came before the commissioners last month, a large crowd attended the meeting, both in support and in opposition of the site. But first reading approval of rezonings typically are the deciding vote, and that was reflected by the audience turnout on Tuesday, when only a few of the opponents were in attendance.

Attorney William Ferngren, representing the hospital, presented three written commitments that were requested by the commmissioners and the Porter County Plan Commmission, as follows:

•The zoning will revert back to residential if the hospital isn’t built at that location by May, 2011;

•“Best management practices” will be employed in the hospital construction. This commitment stems from the request from county planners and some residents that the stormwater plans and other features of the new hospital will be environmentally friendly;

•The hospital will have two access points. Ferngren said one access will be off U.S. 6 as originally proposed, and a second access will be planned to the west in anticipation of future development on that adjoining parcel.

The hospital plans still have a way to go.

The development plans will now need to be presented and approved by the Porter County Plan Commission, with another public hearing to be held. The development plan will likely include issues such as compliance with the county’s open space ordinance, traffic flows, and stormwater and drainage plans.

Posted 2/6/2008