By PAULENE POPARAD

The Porter Redevelopment Commission set in motion Tuesday a process to expand by almost 114 acres land designated as tax increment financing (TIF) allocation areas anticipated to see economic development.

Doing so will give the town the ability to capture property taxes generated by new development in five additional TIF areas; the revenue would be reserved for projects within, or that benefit, the respective districts.

Porter currently has 811.33 acres in TIF allocation areas that generated over $2.1 million in dedicated property taxes 2003-2006.

Property owners in the five proposed expansion areas will be notified of an upcoming public hearing, tentatively set for April 22. The locations generally are:

•The Beam Street and U.S. 20 intersection at Saylor Basket, 3.080 acres.

•Land on the right side of Beam and U.S. 20 that includes a cabinet shop and former winery, 3.925 acres.

•The southeast corner of the Mineral Springs Road and U.S. 20 intersection including the former Spa Restaurant property, 58.224 acres.

•The southeast corner of the Wagner Road and U.S. 20 intersection, 10.280 acres.

•The south side of U.S. 20 from Waverly Road to the State Road 49 intersection, 38.440 acres.

Financial consultant Dan Botich of Cender & Company told the Redevelopment Commission that because the 113.95 acres recommended to be added doesn’t exceed 20 percent of the existing TIF areas, an abbreviated adoption process can be used. The town’s economic development plan also will have to be updated. All final approvals are up to the Town Council.

Redevelopment Commission president Councilman Bill Sexton asked that the proposed TIF expansion area that includes the former Spa property be extended south to Beam Street on the east side of Mineral Springs. Botich said the commission has 48.32 acres it still can add without exceeding the 20 percent cap.

Vote to adopt the TIF expansion task schedule laid out by Botich was 4-0 with member Trevin Fowler absent.

In other business, the commission authorized town engineer Warren Thiede of Haas Associates to begin the final design phase for a fabricated pedestrian bridge over the Little Calumet River north of Hawthorne Park as part of the Orchard Pedestrian Way hike/bike trail along Waverly Road. Most of the estimated $400,000 bridge cost is funded with a coastal program grant; construction should take place this summer.

The commission was disappointed to learn that construction of the Orchard pedway itself likely won’t occur until 2009.

“There’s no way of speeding that up?” asked Sexton. Replied Thiede, “We’re doing the best we can. “ He blamed the delay on time-consuming requirements tied to the federal grants primarily funding the pedway, like preparing a 30-page history from the 1600s of the area that became Porter.

“Is there anything we as a community can do to help you push this forward?” Sexton inquired. Thiede said a major hurdle will be a field check of the trail route next month by the Indiana Department of Transportation.

The news regarding the long-delayed Porter Brickyard Trail on the town’s west side was more encouraging. The commission unanimously authorized the Duneland Group to commence final design. Sexton said INDOT has approved starting the trail at Wagner Road and Lincoln Street rather than making a direct connection to the Prairie Duneland Trail as originally planned eight years ago. A fall groundbreaking is anticipated.

By consensus the commission agreed that town Clerk-treasurer Carol Pomeroy’s office will perform secretary/treasurer functions for redevelopment. Sexton said the State Board of Accounts had recommended that the commission not act as its own treasurer and not handle payment of its own claims.

 2/28/2008