By KEVIN NEVERS

The Chesterton Town Council, on behalf of the Redevelopment Commission, has authorized offers to be made on eight more parcels of land needed for public right of way as part of the South Calumet Business District project.

At their meeting Monday night, members voted 5-0 to authorize Town Attorney Chuck Lukmann to make offers, based on the appraisal of the land, to the owners of seven of the eight parcels in question. The largest offer is one of $7,700; the smallest, one of $250. The offers total $23,200.

Members then voted 4-0 to authorize Lukmann to make one additional offer, in the amount of $600, to T & P Development. Member Jeff Trout, R-2nd, abstained from that vote.

So far the council has authorized 16 offers totaling $360,475.50. The owners of the parcels in question:

•Jeffrey D. Jones and Kathleen M. Gruber-Jones, an offer of $6,750.

•John D. Shields, an offer of $32,690.

•James A. Jeppesen and Mellnotte Jeppesen, an offer of $32,767.50.

•Lake County Trust Company, an offer of $6,550.

•LaPorte Motel Inc. and AA-TM Inc., an offer of $69,650.

•Pensco Trust Company, custodian f/b/o James L. Jeselnick, an offer of $184,000.

•Heliodoro Camacho and Kathleen Camacho, an offer of $4,050.

•Ann C. Stephens, an offer of $200.

•Starin Properties LLC, an offer of $1,800.

•Robert H. Brown and Diane L. Brown, an offer of $5,050.

•Duneland Endeavors LLC, an offer of $2,200.

•David M. Salan and Jamie L. Salan, an offer of $1,100.

•Robert L. Zakhar, an offer of $5,100.

•CSE Chesterton LLC, an offer of $250.

•Ronald F. Lhotak and Virginia Lhotak, trustees of the Ronald F. Lhotak and Virginia Lhotek Joint Revocable Living Trust, an offer of $7,700.

•T & P Development, an offer of $600.

For the record, Zakhar and the Lhotaks both filed a tort claim notice against the town last year in which they claim damages, on the ground that the anticipated permanent closure of the intersection South Calumet Road and 1100N will diminish the value of their property.

Redevelopment Commission

Earlier in the evening, at the Redevelopment Commission’s meeting, Mike Jabo of DLZ, the contracted project engineer, advised members that Phase I should be ready to go out to construction bid on April 14 and again on April 21, with the bids to be opened at the members’ next meeting, April 28.

President Sharon Darnell urged all involved, DLZ, Town Engineer Mark O’Dell, and Associate Town Engineer to do everything in their power to assure that Jabo’s schedule stays on track.

While she was at it, she asked O’Dell to make contact with the Porter County Drainage Board to keep it apprised of the project’s progress, as construction could potentially impact the Pope O’Connor ditch, a regulated county drain.

Meanwhile, members voted 3-0 to approve three claims: one from DLZ for $3,610; one from Vale Appraisal Group for $16,800; and the last from eValuations for $13,425.

Posted 3/26/2008