After months of delay the Chesterton Advisory Plan Commission received a final draft Thursday of its proposed comprehensive plan update. It would expand and amend the provisions of the current plan done in 2004.

The commission agreed to conduct a preliminary hearing on the new 144-page document at its July 15 meeting giving members four weeks to review it. “We definitely have our homework. Start digging,” suggested president Fred Owens.

Any changes will be discussed in July with a likely public hearing set for Aug.19.

Zoning consultant A.J. Monroe of SEH Inc. said some aspects of the 2004 plan, like the town’s history and environment, didn’t change but other statistical data was updated with the latest figures available.

Commission member George Stone asked that the plan note the town is awaiting final certification of the 2010 census. “Chesterton is quite a different place than we were in 2000,” the year of the last federal census, Stone observed.

Member Emerson DeLaney said he liked that Monroe added which unit of town government is the responsible party to carry out specific recommendations in the draft plan distributed to members last night. Giving it a quick look, said DeLaney, “I see a lot of good things in here.”

Commission member Thomas Kopko, who also sits on the town’s Stormwater Management Board, asked that Monroe replace Utility Service Board with the Stormwater Board when identifying responsible parties for stormwater-related recommendations.

The draft plan is broken into five sections: the introduction, town characteristics, a statement of objectives and policies for future development, the general development plan and plan implementation. The appendix includes an economic development plan and the downtown Chesterton master plan. Under state law the comprehesive plan must include certain elements such as land use; public ways; public lands, places, structures and utilities; quality, sustainable development; and arts and culture.

The revised comprehensive plan is intended as a plan of action for development and growth management rather than a general outline of policy statements. Monroe said the proposed land-use map, discussed several months ago, has not changed.

In a related planning matter, town manager Bernie Doyle asked commission members to review and give input on a draft of proposed design guidelines for the Indiana 49 corridor through Chesterton. The document was developed by a steering committee with the help of Shannon Armstrong of the Brick Industry Association. Owens said the draft looks like a really good start.

The commission voted 5-0 with members Jeff Ton and Jeff Trout absent to conduct a public hearing July 15 on Louis Vasconi’s request to amend the 1999 planned unit development ordinance for The Galleria mall to include an on-site dry cleaning plant. Vasconi would operate the business and is authorized to act on behalf of property owner Peter Makris’ EVAM, LLC.

Vasconi attorney Greg Babcock stressed that his client’s cleaning process would be environmentally friendly and he offered to have a representative of the cleaning equipment meet with town officials to answer their technical questions. Vasconi said the closest such operation is in Illinois.

Town engineer Mark O’Dell asked about the cleaning fluid to be used. Vasconi said it is a closed system and no storage of solvent is required because such a small amount of it is used annually. The fluid is described as 100 percent biodegradable.

Commission attorney Chuck Parkinson said while there was some confusion last month how Vasconi should petition to amend The Galleria PUD ordinance, it now has been determined that PUD changes originate with the Plan Commission. Its recommendation would be forwarded to the Town Council for final action.

The current PUD allows dry cleaners but not an on-site dry cleaning plant. The business would be located at 757-761 Indian Boundary Rd.

Sig Niepokoj, a member of both the Plan Commission and the Board of Zoning Appeals, said next week the BZA will hear a request from Scott Finner not to install curbs, gutters or sidewalks for a three-lot subdivision on East Porter Avenue that Finner plans to develop east of the Sand Creek Country Club.

Niepokoj asked Plan Commission members if they saw a need to have the sidewalk installed, especially in light of a planned 360-home subdivision to the east of Finners at County Road 250E. And if a sidewalk is desired, asked Niepokoj, should it be on the north side or the south side of Porter Avenue?

Consensus was the north side would be best. Finner’s petition is for property on the south side of Porter Avenue. In 2002 that BZA waived the need for sidewalks for a home on property west of Finner’s.

On another matter, Parkinson said he’ll have a report at the next meeting on the status of an unbuilt phase of the Rose Hill Estates subdivision that was previously tied up in litigation.

Posted 6/18/2010