Chesterton Tribune

 

 

Chesterton still grappling with issue of sidewalk along unincorporated CR 100E

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By KEVIN NEVERS

In April the Chesterton Town Council promised residents of the Tamarack subdivision that Porter County authorities would be contacted about the possibility of using unincorporated right-of-way along the west side of C.R. 100E, immediately south of 1100N, for the construction of a sidewalk.

At issue: Tamarack residents say that the lack of a sidewalk along 100E puts runners, walkers, and bicyclists in jeopardy.

The problem: C.R. 100E between 1100N and Spencer Court is not a Town of Chesterton road and any unused right-of-way along it belongs to Porter County, meaning that the town is not at liberty to build a sidewalk on it.

Now, though, revisiting the issue at their meeting Monday night, members aren’t sure whether sufficient right-of-way even exists along C.R. 100E for the construction of a sidewalk.

That would mean, unless all of the property owners along C.R. 100E were willing voluntarily to part with a ribbon of their land, that it’s unlikely a sidewalk could be built at all, Town Attorney Chuck Lukmann said.

Street Commissioner John Schnadenberg and Town Engineer Mark O’Dell said that they would take a look at the maps and determine before the council’s next meeting, Oct. 25, exactly how much unused right-of-way is available along C.R. 100E.

Someday, although probably not someday soon, the Westchester-Liberty Trail will connect Dogwood Park to Tamarack--and from there to Rail Road and Coffee Creek Center--by way of 1100N. But the W-L Trail will not actually extend all the way east to C.R. 100E. Instead, it will run along the north side of 1100N from Dogwood Park to a point several hundred feet west of C.R. 100E, where it will cross the roadway and connect to Tamarack via a thin corridor of municipal property owned by the Parks Department but surrounded by property in the unincorporated county.

CFD Open House

In other business, Fire Chief John Jarka expressed his gratitude to everyone who attended the CFD annual open house on Saturday and to everyone who made it such a success.

The latter include the LOK Wishing Tree Foundation, which gave away free carbon monoxide detectors; Porter Regional Hospital; National Park Service firefighters from Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, with Smokey the Bear in tow; the Northwest Indiana Commuter Transportation District, promoting Operation Lifesaver; the Burns Harbor Fire Department, which performed an extrication exercise; Joe’s Towing Inc.; and Local 4600 of the International Fire Fighters Association.

“And the Lights & Sirens Parade was awesome,” Jarka added.

“Yes it was,” agreed member Emerson DeLaney, R-5th.

Thanks from Frontline Foundations Inc.

Meanwhile, Amber Hicks, Jon Hicks, and Debbie Spurling from Frontline Foundations Inc. thanked the council from the floor for its support of the 10th annual Hooked on Art Live Street Art Festival on Saturday, Sept. 24.

Amber Hicks in particular thanked department heads and their crews for the great job, including Street Commissioner John Schnadenberg and the Street Department, Park Superintendent Bruce Mathias and the Park Department, and Police Chief Dave Cincoski and the Police Department.

“Chief Cincoski volunteers a lot of his time,” she noted. “He spends the Friday night before in the park, guarding our stuff. And then in the morning the police officers come out and really work the crowd.”

Body Armor Grant

Cincoski reported that the U.S. Department of Justice has awarded the Chesterton Police Department a federal non-match grant in the amount of $2,500 for the purchase of new bulletproof vests, which have expiration dates and need to be replaced periodically.

Cincoski said that the purchase would have to be made anyway and that the grant will cover roughly half the cost.

Early Voting

Member Dane Lafata, D-3rd, took a moment at the end of the meeting to encourage Chesterton residents and all Dunelanders to take advantage of the early-voting center conveniently located in the meeting room of the town hall, 790 Broadway.

“How lucky Chesterton is to have an early voting location,” Lafata said.

Early-voting hours:

* 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.

* Plus 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.

* Plus 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, and Saturday, Nov. 5.

All early-voting ends at 12 p.m. Monday, Nov. 7.

 

 

Posted 10/12/2016

 
 
 
 

 

 

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