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By PAULENE POPARAD A new steering committee meets for the first time Wednesday to kick off efforts to update Burns Harbor’s comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance. Because a partial development moratorium is in place for much of the town until June 30, it’s hoped the zoning updates can be completed before then if possible although the moratorium can be extended. The steering committee, comprised of town officials and both new and long-time residents, meets Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at the town hall, 1240 N. Boo Rd. All committee meetings are open to the public. The committee was formed by the town’s Advisory Plan Commission, which was slated to meet Monday but did not due to lack of a quorum. The vision of town residents and its leaders for Burns Harbor’s future will shape the new comprehensive plan to a large degree, and input will be sought in various forms during the upcoming planning process. A.J. Monroe, former Portage city planner, has been hired as project manager for consultant Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc. to guide Burns Harbor in its efforts. The consultant fees and planning update will be financed with a $100,000 grant from the Lake Michigan Coastal Program. If needed the town may have to fund up to $50,000 toward the project. Wednesday the steering committee will discuss an action plan, proposed timeline and milestones for the project, a website and proposed dates for special public-involvement and intensive small-group discussions. Town officials already have some idea what residents want --- and don’t want --- regarding their preferences for development, parks, a new town hall complex, road extensions and other aspects of growth the town currently is undergoing. May, 2008 the Plan Commission received the results of a survey in which 132 residents/property owners responded. The basis of the survey was one used in 1993 when the current comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance were drafted; portions of both have been updated/amended since that time. In some instances projects the town’s Redevelopment Commission and others have discussed are not favored by survey results. Eighty-one respondents said they would not like to have a community center which included local-government offices mixed in with retail; 41 responded yes and 10 had no comment. The gap grew even wider with 99 saying they would not like to see a new town hall complex; 28 indicated they would and five had no comment. In both cases when asked where such a center or complex should be located, generally the vicinity of Indiana 149 and U.S. 20 was mentioned most often. Another clear choice was whether a walking trail should be developed through town that provides access to the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Lake Michigan and the Little Calumet River. Eighty-eight respondents said yes, 40 said no and four had no comment. The town has received a $50,000 grant from the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority to do a trail feasibility study. If a trail is built in town, 45 respondents said someone else should pay for it, 31 said the town, 19 said both and 37 had no comment. When it came to whether Burns Harbor should acquire more park property, 77 said no and 51 yes; four had no comment. Some town officials have discussed possibly acquiring, perhaps as a joint venture with other government agencies and/or environmental groups, up to 187 acres owned by ArcelorMittal Steel north of North Boo Road west of Indiana 149. The parcel includes land near the Little Calumet River. Most respondents (73) had no comment who should pay for more park land if it’s acquired. Forty-three said developers should pay, 10 said the town and six said both. Burns Harbor in the past five years has seen a single-family housing explosion since municipal water and town sanitary sewers were installed, yet retail development lags. Ninety-nine respondents said they’d like to see more retail locate in town, 28 said no and five had no comment. When asked what kind of business is desired, restaurants often were mentioned as was Walgreen’s or CVS, a grocery store, Starbucks/coffee shop, hardware store, a Centier bank, a dollar store and service establishments like a hair salon. While some requested Target, Meijer or Kmart, others said no big-box stores, please. When asked if residents would like to see professional offices locate in town, 86 said yes, 41 no and five had no comment. Two things were made very clear in the survey by identical responses: 110 residents did not think there is a need for multi-family housing, and 110 said they would not like to see more industrial locate in town. Often in written responses to the questions an objection to more semi-trucks was listed. Respondents were not asked whether they would like to see the long-abandoned Standard Plaza truck stop site on U.S. 20 redeveloped but rather how would they like to see the property developed in the future; this is the same parcel that some have proposed become a town center. Respondents generally favored non-industrial commercial/retail uses and professional offices there as well as a recreation facility, hotel, town center or town complex. Respondents want single-family housing to remain the primary type in town, however, 81 respondents said Burns Harbor does not need more housing; 42 said it did and nine had no comment. Seventy-seven residents said they are satisfied with the current and planned housing situation in town, 38 said no and 17 had no comment. The community was more evenly divided when it came to long-talked-about road extensions. When asked if residents favor connecting Stanley, Coan and Castle streets north of Haglund Road, 60 respondents said no, 50 yes and 22 had no comment. Asked if they favored extending Meadowbrook Road east to North Babcock Road, 64 respondents said no, 48 yes and 20 had no comment. Throughout the survey those responding were asked to comment on the answers they gave; these are documented in the survey results. Often residents remarked they want to retain Burns Harbor’s rural, small-town atmosphere, that the current town needs to be cleaned up, and that residents don’t want their hometown to become a carbon copy of neighboring communities. "Please remember why most town people have bought in Burns Harbor: (for its) country look, not crammed houses and stores.” “In order to attract people the town needs an identity, stores --- something to attract people who want to move here.” “This is a great town, which needs some future ideas. Let us clean up the old and move on to new commercial buildings. Stay away from rental units and rental homes. Build (a) good safe community and we can be the “diamond” off of Route 20. We need to start now.” “We need to hire a town planner to make these decisions; without that information we may make serious mistakes that can ruin the future of Burns Harbor. If you didn’t have a clue as to how to build a house wouldn’t you ask an experienced builder to help? Why would you let a town develop without the advice of an expert?” “The Town of Burns Harbor does not need a new town plan, the current plan is satisfactory; update as necessary. The Plan Committee is doing a good job in resisting the new resident’s desire to change the town.” “The Town of Burns Harbor needs to be completely planned out years ahead of time for future growth and development. Planned properly, there is huge potential for great tax revenue. In 20 years I hope BH will be considered one of the best places in (northwest Indiana) to live.” One respondent commenting on the spring 2008 survey proved to be a prophet. “This is a nice dream sheet but I hope the town government will go slowly in expanding buildings and services. I still don’t believe the economy is that great....we are old town members who know things must change but go slow, make sure changes can be paid for before rushing into something."
Posted 1/6/2009
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