A water leak has left five of the lights supposed to illumine the South Calumet District signage at the intersection of 1100N and 100E burned out.

So reported Mike Jabo of DLZ, the South Calumet District project’s contracted engineer, at the Chesterton Redevelopment Commission’s meeting Monday night.

Turns out, Jabo said, the lights’ ballasts were found not to be waterproof. Why that should be the case is unclear, but the electrical subcontractor and vendor are looking at the problem.

In any case, Jabo said, the lights will be replaced and re-aimed, to illumine the two signs.

Maybe, Member Jim Ton suggested, the current lighting should be jettisoned and replaced with spot lighting, given the current lighting’s unreliability.

Jabo said that new lighting would be an option but advised waiting to see how things work when the existing fixtures are replaced and re-aimed.

In other business, Town Engineer Mark O’Dell told the commission that the Ind. 49 utility corridor project “is moving along really well.”

At this point, O’Dell said, roughly 95 percent of the engineering of Phase I has been completed. Phase I will see the extension of sanitary sewer, stormwater, water, and fiber optic infrastructure from Coffee Creek Center to a point south of the Indiana Toll Road and east of Ind. 49, then to a point under and west of Ind. 49, then to the town’s corporate boundary.

Under Phase II, the utility infrastructure would be extended as far south as U.S. Highway 6 in unincorporated Liberty Township.

The point of the project is to open the Ind. 49 corridor to commercial and light-industrial development.

Meanwhile, Town Attorney Chuck Lukmann reported that he has met with DLZ about the preliminary engineering for the “Calumet Connection,” the next phase of the South Calumet Project which will involve improvements along South Calumet Road between the Pope O’Connor Bridge and Porter Ave.

“I should get something for you to look at in the near future,” Lukmann said.

Contemplated improvements include curbs and gutters; an eight-foot sidewalk along the west side of South Calumet Road and the replacement of a short stretch of sidewalk along the east side just south of Porter Ave.; decorative street lighting at each intersection; a new storm sewer; and pavement striping.

Estimated cost of the package: $1.46 million, including engineering fees and a 20-percent contingency.

Members voted 5-0 to re-appoint O’Dell, MS4 Coordinator Jennifer Gadzala, and Paul Shinn to the 2012 Common Construction Wage Committee, which meets to set wages for municipal construction projects with a cost of $250,000 or more.

Also sitting on that committee: union and building trades representatives.

Members also voted 5-0 to approve two claims, both for work on the Ind. 49 utility corridor: $10,332.50 from DVG Inc. for engineering services; and $4,806.42 from SEH for consulting services.

Posted 12/23/2011