Park
almost ready
By Kathie Godfrey
Star Correspondent
LOWELL - The Legion Park project, done in concert
with the county surveyor's renovation of the town's Cedar Creek
streambanks, will be completed in time for Lowell's beloved Labor Day
parade festivities, Councilwoman Karen Brooker, R-2nd, said Monday.
Peter Kohut, of Butler, Fairman & Seufert,
Lowell's town engineer, presented landscaping maps prepared by
Hubinger's of Crown Point detailing the creekside park's winding
concrete walkway, and indicating the placement of benches, flagpoles,
trash cans, trees, shrubs, and flowers that will beautify the formerly
undeveloped site.
Brooker said Lake County Surveyor George Van
Til had elected to remove concrete slabs on the east side of the creek
and replace them with gabions to control soil erosion.
"They thought since the sidewalk and
benches will be on the west side of the creek, the gabions would look
better than concrete," she explained.
Brooker said the town's $30,000 contribution to
the park would include approximately $6,000 in concrete work, as well as
flagpoles and trash receptacles and the purchase of trees, shrubs, and
flowers, while the $15,000 pledged by the county surveyor's office went
for engineering, streambank renovation, removal of debris and concrete
and final grading.
Van Til brought the project proposal to the
council in October of last year as part of the Cedar Creek Drainage and
Beautification Project.
At that time, Van Til explained that while the
county's 75-foot easement on either side of the creek precluded any
building on the site east of Lowell's American Legion Post #101, the
town could develop a park on the site that would greatly beautify the
downtown area used by residents during Oktoberfest, the Christmas Parade
of Lights and other events.
Brooker said she hoped a portion of the town's
funds from the Lake County Solid Waste Management
recycling program could be spent on five six-foot benches - constructed
of recycled materials, to be placed along the park's walkway.
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Mall
plan prompts backlash
By Sean McNab
Star Staff Writer
CROWN POINT - Numerous complaints were heard Monday
night at the Plan Commission meeting when a 33,800 square-foot shopping
mall was proposed to be built east of the intersection of U.S. 231 and
Broadway.
Petitioning for a commercial/professional
center that would be adjacent to the Stillwater subdivision, Daniel
Kuzman, the attorney representing the petitioner, explained that this
would not detract from the surrounding community.
"This is going to be a high grade
development with doctors, dentists and other professionals leasing from
the building. We do not want this to turn into a strip mall so we plan
to regulate business activity up to 10 p.m. We want this development to
complement the surrounding areas."
City Councilman William Condron, R-4th, spoke
on behalf of the Stillwater and Briar Ridge residents opposed to the
construction.
"The Stillwater subdivision is a quiet
community surrounded by nature and still-life. The reason homeowners
decided to move into this subdivision is that they liked the
surroundings. By bringing this type of establishment into this
community, it will destroy the secluded charm for the residents living
here."
A major concern raised by the remonstrators of
the petition was that in order for this shopping mall to have any chance
of approval, the owner, David Wilson, would have to rezone the 10
allotted acres from R-1 Residential to B-3 Business.
"Looking at the master plan created by the
city years ago, this parcel of land was zoned residential," said
Condron. "They wanted it zoned this way for a reason. If this is
going to be such an addition to the city there is land zoned for
commercial use approximately one-quarter mile down the road on Delaware
Street. They could build this mall there if they wanted to."
Condron presented members of the Plan
Commission with a petition signed by 165 residents who are against the
building of the shopping mall.
With Kuzman alluding to the future of U.S. 231
becoming more and more commercially developed, he felt that this
proposed mall would alleviate the community by raising property values.
"Businesses are always looking for roofs,
and the more roofs they see the more businesses want to come. This is
not going to be a place were liquor stores or tattoo parlors are going
to be. This is going to be a professional building complex that will add
to the surrounding communities."
Issues were still raised by Stillwater
residents that this mall would congest U.S. 231 and provide an added
stress on septic and drainage in the surrounding communities.
"These are just general arguments that
every remonstrator gives when he does not want construction near his
property," said Kuzman. "No studies have been done and
no experts have stated that either of these issues are problems."
The petition also calls for 28 townhomes to
buffer the surrounding subdivisions.
Because Monday was only a workshop, no decision was made on the matter.
A public hearing has been scheduled for July 23 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss
the proposal.
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