Cross wires short our tower plan
Petition problems lead Crown Point BZA to disconnect wireless proposal

BY SEAN MCNAB 
Star Staff Writer

CROWN POINT -- An incomplete petition was presented to the BZA Board this past Monday, April 24 as Voicestream Wireless requested a Special Use (I-1) proposal of placing panel antennas on an existing lattice tower located at 1110 E. 129th Ave. with equipment cabinets at its base. The purpose was to increase cell phone coverage into the Chicago-land area.
     The problem in question was that the "real party in interest" or that of the owner of the property in which the tower is located did not sign the petition.
     "Your petition is signed by MSI Midwest, Inc. who is the leasee in the contract. The owner, Ned Kovachevich, is the owner and should have signed the petition in order for it to be valid," stated BZA Attorney Daniel Kuzman.
     Nathan Holland, a Zoning Associate for Voicestream Wireless, commented, "When I went to file the petition, whoever I spoke with told me that I just needed the owner's part signed and everything would be all right. I thought that when MSI did that, the proper filing was done."
     Holland hinted at the fact that he may have spoke with Curt Graves, the Director of Building and Planning, but Graves responded "with no recollection of the conversation."
     Kovachevich filed an objection to the petition because he was not contacted on this latest request.
     To make matters worse, the address filed on the petition was misprinted with part of the petitioned property being owned by neighbor Harry Vandriessche.
     After the confusion was finally settled Vandriessche commented on his displeasure of the additions to the tower adjacent to his property.
     "Those in operation of the tower have been very poor neighbors. They drive through my yard telling me I do not own it and the reality is they do not even know who owns it, as can be seen tonight. I have four bedroom windows facing this tower and with the addition of these antennas, the flashing light attachments will be coming right into those windows keeping my family up all night!"
     Holland ended up withdrawing the petition from the agenda with hopes of reapplying for request at next month's meeting on May 22 pending payment of new application and advertising fees.

END

photo from www.johnpriceis right.com
Run for the primary
Candidate sweeps through Crown Point

By ANDREW STEELE
Star Managing Editor

CROWN POINT -- Republican gubernatorial candidate John Price swept through town Monday during a tour through all 92 Indiana counties in preparation for Tuesday's primary election, in which he faces U.S. Rep. David MacIntosh of Muncie.
     Price, an Indianapolis attorney, spoke on the steps of the old Lake County Courthouse at mid-day to about 30 supporters.
     He said he is focusing his campaign on education and reform of the property tax system.
     "I want to accent education," he said, by requiring the use of phonics to teach students to read, replacing the ISTEP with the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, and providing college scholarships to good students.
    The Iowa test is shorter, cheaper, and gives teachers knowledge of each studentÕs weaknesses, Price said.
     Price also said he would "fight to enact" a "Hoosier Hope Scholarship Program" that would allow students with a B or better average in high school to attend a public university or college for free, as long as the student maintained the B average in college.
     He said the state of Georgia has a similar program, and it has "attracted hundreds of new corporations" to the state.|
     "They are number one in their part of the country in job growth," Price said.
     Price also said he would promote the elimination of property taxes for homeowners aged 70 and over.
     "You should not have to pay property taxes on your house and one acre," he said.
     That would be accompanied by a 20 percent property tax cut for everyone, Price said. That would be the first step in moving the state from a property tax based system to a consumption tax based system, he said.
    How will the state afford this?
     "By increasing the tax on riverboat (casinos)," Price said. He proposes boosting the tax rate on their profits from 20 percent to 35 percent.
     "They're not going to leave," Price argued. "Even after the tax increase, they'll make $512 million (per year).
     "Price also said he thinks state parks can be better maintained, and that the state's natural resources need to be better protected.
     On local issues, Price said he opposes allowing dockside gambling for the state's riverboats, and wants eventually to shift welfare funding from county to state responsibility.
     Price called downtown Gary an "embarrassment," and said he would encourage the condemnation and destruction of vacant stores there.
     With state and federal Brownfield assistance, housing could be built, he said.
     Lake County is the 57th county Price has visited on his trips to all 92.
     His 27-point plan for the state can be viewed as his Internet site at www.johnpriceisright.com.

                          
END

Problem gets hearing, officials get earful
Special meeting offers two solutions to flooding issue

BY SEAN MCNAB 
Star Staff Writer

WINFIELD -- A special meeting was called this past Thursday, April 20 for an open forum presenting the possible solutions to the flooding problem found in the Hidden Creek Subdivision.
    Suheil Naimmari, the engineer of Lasko Development overseeing the project, offered two options to those in attendance.
     "Our primary plan is to install 30-inch sewers at the two entrances to the subdivision - that of 103rd Avenue extended and 101st Avenue. The water will then divert down to Deer Creek flowing outward to the town of Merrillville. This should substantially reduce the amount of water within the Hidden Creek subdivision."
     It was mentioned that this project would be no cost to the town of which should have incurred a $12,500 price tag per household.
     "Mr. Lasko (the Hidden Creek developer) is willing to bear the cost of this project because he is trying to regain some of his reputation without his community and not be looked at as a villain," stated Town Council President Joyce Furto.
     Naimmari added that the other option the town could consider would be to divert water to the bottom of a retention basin off of 101st Avenue.
     "Unfortunately, though, this option will come at a $300,000 expense to the town."
     Wilbur Cox, the town Building Administrator/Inspector, said "I would like to remind everyone that the town council does not have deep pockets to solve this. The proposed pipes will be 1/3 larger than the pipes we presently have and should definitely be enough when this subdivision does expand.
     "Even so, residents within the subdivision still had some unanswered questions on the project.
     "When I moved into this subdivision a few years ago, I was told that I could put twice the amount of water in my retention pond then what is presently going in it. Why does this pond continue to flood over?" asked Scott 
     Habenight.Naimmari responded by saying, "When this detention was created, it was supposed to encompass 12 acres of land. There are only three acres of availability at this point."
     Bob Anderson, of Hidden Creek, said, "Is anyone watching the numbers of water flowage that is entering our subdivision?"
     Town Attorney George Patrick explained that it presently "was not possible because the measuring would have to incorporate the levels from the Trees Subdivision and they probably would not cooperate.
     "It was mentioned that developer Garry Rinkenberger, the Trees Subdivision developer, has not cooperated with the possible alleviation of water flowage from the Trees Subdivision to Hidden Creek.
     "The easiest solution to the aforementioned problem would be to run our proposed pipes directly to the creek leading into the Trees Subdivision. Mr. Rinkenberger, though, has not cooperated with us thus far in seeing this solution come to fruition."
     The open discussion then became heated when David Barlow, a resident at 10265 Cass Street, became upset with the possibility of part of proposed pipe cutting through a corner of his property.
     "When the plat for my property was created, I am almost sure there was no inclusion of easements on it. If that is indeed the case, I will be taking Mr. Lasko to court to make sure this proposition doesn't happen!"
     Naimmari noted that he remembered there being an easement on his property, thus, resulting in the pipe implementation.
     Town Engineer Kim Hodnik said, "If indeed there is no easement on Mr. Barlow's property and this plan that Lasko Development is accepted, we will then approach you on a selling price for the creation of the easement."
     Attorney Patrick then told residents "Mr. Lasko cannot do anything other than what he has proposed to do because we have him monetarily tied up in bonds. Unfortunately, though, we cannot punish him retro-actively for the supposed wrongdoings he has done in the past."
     The town council, thus, has already enacted a solution to the present development problem by asking all developers to plat the designated plan based on improvements for the property in question and put up a bond to make sure the developer does what he says he is going to do.
     Kim Steininger, a resident of 103rd Avenue, asked, "When are we ever going to see Mr. Lasko at any of these meetings? You call him and he never calls you back and he never ever seems to make it to any of these discussion meetings that involve him? It is a little frustrating being lied to time and time again."

 END