The award-winning The Village in Burns Harbor is being developed by attorney Cliff Fleming.

Could his proposed The Village at Pope’s Farm of Chesterton be next?

What was described as a “tremendously preliminary plan” for 81 mixed-use acres at the southwest corner of Indiana 49 and County Road 950N was presented to the Chesterton Advisory Plan Commission for input Thursday.

Members were cautiously enthusiastic but said a number of issues need to be resolved, especially ingress/egress; initially two entrances on 950N are planned.

The parcel has 1,000 feet of frontage on but no direct access to Indiana 49.

The property was annexed into the town last fall. It lies north of but is not contiguous to the future Community Health Systems Porter hospital campus at the northwest corner of Indiana 49 and U.S. 6.

As described by Fleming and consultant Jeff Ban of DVG Inc., the Pope’s Farm development would complement the hospital by offering a variety of single-family to high-density housing opportunities as well as 13 acres of retail and 14 acres reserved for medical office buildings. Ten acres is devoted to parks and ponds.

Ban said the hospital is a huge economic engine and will have a significant sphere of influence when built creating a need for support facilities like restaurants, bookstores, and medical and professional offices.

The nearly 15 acres on Pope’s Farm’s southern portion identified for high-density housing could be in the form of seniors’ apartments, assisted living or nursing-home care, explained Ban.

Talks have been initiated with town officials and numerous stakeholders and interested parties on a number of issues, said Fleming.

These include extension of sewer and water service from Chesterton, a possible new road connecting the Pope’s Farm and hospital parcels, a relocated crossing to the west for the railroad that separates them, and a redesign and traffic signal at the Indiana 49/North Calumet Avenue intersection at 950N.

A signalized intersection redesign already has been proposed for the pending 50-acre, 300,000 square-foot Coffee Creek Crossing commercial/retail development at the southeast quadrant of Indiana 49 and the Indiana Toll Road across from Pope’s Farm.

That developer, Robert Rossman, and Fleming both pledged Thursday to coordinate their efforts with each other as well as with the town and the hospital.

Rossman’s project generated significant remonstrance when it went through the planned-unit development zoning process last year. Fleming said he wants to work with Liberty Township residents. “I respect the quality of life they want.”

Commission member Jeff Trout said offering commercial/retail sites in the Fleming/Rossman projects will take pressure off Porter County to develop along U.S. 6 near the hospital. Trout noted, “The hospital will have a Chesterton address and it will be known as the hospital in Chesterton. (Pope’s Farm) is a good connecting piece in that direction.”

Trout also said if the current hospital site, its construction delayed by a lawsuit being appealed, falls through, Fleming could combine his retail and medical acreage and have the hospital locate there with the ancillary uses built at Rossman’s mall.

Commission member George Stone said Pope’s Farm is a marvelous concept in the new-urbanism, traditional neighborhood design style, but the project needs to relate to existing Chesterton. “I really want to make this part of the town.”

Fleming said he put Chesterton in the project’s name for a reason."This is where all eyes will be looking.” In 20, 30 years what today seems on Chesterton’s southern fringe could be its center.

Stone also said the future north/south road that would run the center length of the Pope’s Farm parcel is crucial to that development; connecting the new road to the hospital site would require a tunnel or overpass at the railroad.

Initially to be built with twin roads off 950N, “I’m going to be really concerned with one access point,” said commission member Mike Bannon. “It’s not a showstopper necessarily but we’ll be looking at that really critically.” Ban said connections to vacant land to the west would be preserved for future access.

Bannon also said, “I get a little concerned when I hear high-density residential. We have to be very careful about our housing mix in this community. I’ve seen communities over-apartmentized and then they fight to get it back to a reasonable mix.”

Member Thomas Kopko echoed the density concern. Fleming said it will be up to his team to demonstrate the requested density is warranted. When the economic downturn subsides, he predicted the market will want to move fast.

Member Emerson DeLaney said significant potential exists today, so why not be ahead of it instead of behind it? He also welcomed public comment on Pope’s Farm and said putting Chesterton in the name is good branding for the town. Fleming said developments in Hobart and Crown Point near hospitals there are an example of well-coordinated planning efforts that emphasize “we” instead of “me", and Chesterton can benefit from that approach.

Given the magnitude of his project, Fleming said he believes it’s best to proceed slowly. He also expressed a desire to promote the history and traditions of the Pope family in his development.

As far as environmentally sensitive and pedestrian-friendly “green” design, “My goal is that (Pope’s Farm) becomes a benchmark for other projects in the country.”

Pope’s Farm was not on the advertised agenda; a revised one was distributed last night. Commission vice-president Sig Niepokoj, who chaired the meeting in the absence of president Fred Owens, said he found out it would be discussed when he arrived at the town hall.

Ban told commission members it was time to get them involved. “Before we go too far we want your feedback. We want to have a tremendous amount of dialogue with the town. We don’t want to present our plan. We want to create a plan with you.”

Bannon said commission members need time to digest the information and suggested Fleming be placed on the Aug. 20 agenda. Bannon also asked for quadrant maps of existing and proposed land uses showing the project area in broader detail.

Listed as Pope’s Farm developer is Village Communities, LLC. After the meeting Fleming said it’s an entity he created and he intends to have partners.

Coffee Creek Crossing developer Robert Rossman said Thursday he’s still wooing tenants for his proposed 50-acre commercial/retail mall on Chesterton’s far southeast side.

Rossman said they’ve been talking to Walmart, Target and other potential anchors, and would like to bring major medical players to Chesterton as well.

In the next six months Rossman said he’d like to get the platting process underway in anticipation of market interest heating up late next year.

With Valparaiso undergoing a revitalization on its north side and Chesterton development extending south, Rossman said he anticipates his location between them will become the hub of interest and activity.

Announced Thursday were tentative plans for the 81-acre residential/commercial The Village at Pope’s Farm of Chesterton proposed by Cliff Fleming. Rossman said the pair are trying to coordinate their respective plans to mitigate duplicate costs, and are working with the town and owners of the new Porter hospital to be built nearby.

Said Rossman, “We want to do what’s best for the community.” As for the hospital’s proximity, “We’ll be there to benefit from it, complement it and so will the town."

Posted 7/17/2009