[Southsider2k12]

http://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/art...c3b325eb25.html

Making Northwest Indiana a vibrant, revitalized, accessible and united region is the focus of several public outreach meetings that began in September and continue into this month.

The Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission's Vision 2040 is a comprehensive regional plan that began to take shape in 2008 and is nearing completion.

Local stakeholders and elected officials attended a meeting Thursday at Woodland Park in Portage to look at four scenarios that may become part of Vision 2040: trends, local plans, livable centers and urban core regeneration/infill. Infill is the conversion of empty lots and underused space into sites for commercial buildings and housing.

"Our goal is to have a plan ready for adoption by the NIRPC board at the end of the first quarter next year," said Chuck Oberlie, Michigan City mayor and NIRPC executive board member.

Oberlie said the process involves the entire region coming together under a shared vision and ultimately ironing out a plan of action to "raise all of Northwest Indiana."

"Our objective is to make Northwest Indiana the most vibrant and strong area it can be, understanding our natural resources, economical opportunities and our obligation to be good stewards," he said. "It's a challenge that can't be passed to the next generation or next planning team."

Thursday's meeting was a critical step, Oberlie said.

"Think big and be ready to challenge the policy makers," he said.

Participants were assigned tables and given a keypad for polling. The device allowed participants to give instant feedback and express their preferences and priorities for indicators and scenarios.

The final results will be used by NIRPC staff, the steering committee and the NIRPC board to develop a complete plan.

This is an exciting opportunity for Northwest Indiana, and it's an exciting challenge for NIRPC," commission Executive Director John Swanson said. "It's an exciting vision."

[Southsider2k12]

http://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/art...6dc43e5de9.html

NIRPC adopts vision for 2040 plan

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NIRPC adopts vision for 2040 plan

By Lu Ann Franklin Times Correspondent nwi.com | Posted: Thursday, October 28, 2010 3:42 pm | No Comments Posted

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PORTAGE | A vision for Northwest Indiana's future became a bit clearer Thursday when the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission adopted a scenario for its 2040 Comprehensive Regional Plan.

It is a blending of several of the original proposals for growth of the area in the next 30 years. The preferred hybrid scenario emphasizes two ideas: infill and urban core revitalization.

Infill, which includes the conversion of empty lots and underused space into sites for commercial buildings and housing, concentrates growth within or close to existing municipalities.

An extra effort to revitalize four urban lakefront communities -- East Chicago, Gary, Hammond and Michigan City -- is the second focus of the scenario.

"The amount of growth in existing community will be proportional to their size now," NIRPC Transportation Planning Manager Bill Brown said. "The urban lakefront communities would get an additional share of growth."

That urban core revitalization will take advantage of existing infrastructure and multiple transportation connections to encourage population and employment growth in the four cities, said Phil Hanegraaf, a consultant with HNTD, an engineering/planning corporation.

Only Anthony Hendricks, a NIRPC commissioner and LaPorte County surveyor, voted against adoption because, he said, the plan doesn't address why people have moved away from the urban cores and whether those reasons would still be valid when the areas are revitalized.

"If we bring back people, will why they left -- crime, noise, etc. -- still be there?" Hendricks asked.

None of the scenarios that NIRPC's steering committee explored studied that issue, Hanegraaf told Hendricks.

The scenario NIRPC adopted provides more access to public transportation, cuts down on travel time because people and jobs will be more concentrated in urban areas, and helps the region meet the goals for mitigating pollution caused by vehicles, Hanegraaf said.

"This is a watershed moment," Hanegraaf said, as the full commission considered the plan's focus.

Several commissioners raised questions about the 2040 Comprehensive Regional Plan's vision.

Robert Carnahan, of the Cedar Lake Town Council, asked if concentrating on the urban areas would discourage growth and development in smaller communities.

"We're bringing water out to U.S. 41 to attract commercial development such as big-box stores," Carnahan said. "We don't want this plan to stop us."

Charles Oberlie, steering committee chairman and Michigan City mayor, said the plan's encouragement of infill in existing communities would apply to the current efforts and plans of smaller communities.

State Rep. Chet Dobis, D-Merrillville, the governor's appointee to NIRPC, questioned how the 2040 plan will be financed.

"I understand all this planning is necessary, but how are you going to pay for this?" Dobis asked.

Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas said, "Everything starts with a plan and a vision. If we have the right plan, the dollars will follow."

[eric.hanke]

Where's Michigan City's vision?

[Southsider2k12]

http://posttrib.suntimes.com/news/6407298-...strategies.html

Implementing a plan aimed at ensuring a vibrant Northwest Indiana 30 years down the road is a focus of the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission.

The NIRPC board of directors will launch a committee in August responsible for carrying out the 2040 Comprehensive Regional Plan created after years of public input. The plan identifies key projects for the region and strategies to stabilize older and historically vital communities along the lakeshore, such as Gary, Hammond and East Chicago.

Much of the implementation of the plan relies on local governments because NIRPC doesn’t control land use, NIRPC Deputy Director Steve Strains said.

“People want a more vibrant, accessible and unified region,” Strains said. “They said we can’t allow to keep happening the loss of population and loss of jobs in the older core communities along the lakeshore. Let’s bring people back. Let’s bring jobs back ... Let’s reverse the outward trend, so that’s what’s new and different and special about this plan.”

The plan outlines projects for the region, including the development of a vast network of bicycle-friendly trails, a rapid-transit line down Broadway and the Illiana Expressway.

“We knew we had to recognize the inner relationships of transportation, economic development, the environment and land use,” Strains said, “and create a plan that not only recognizes relationships but tries to develop policies and strategies and recommendations that will help turn this region around.”

The plan realizes that the region can’t continue with current policies in place for sprawl, Michigan City Mayor Chuck Oberlie said.

Oberlie used the proposed Illiana Expressway, a corridor that will connect south Lake County with Illinois, as an example of how the long-range plan will help balance interests for the region.

“If that were to move forward, what challenge does that present to us to prevent urban sprawl,” Oberlie said.

Yet, the plan isn’t a mandate, Munster Clerk Treasurer Dave Shafer said.

“It doesn’t provide funding because that’s not what NIRPC does,” Shafer said. “NIRPC is a planning organization ... The benefit is now you have a plan.”