The developer of Hunters Glen duplexes on Merrillville Road in Merrillville may have to wait to begin the second phase of his project.
Ryan Marovich, the engineer for developer Craig Van Prooyen, approached the Plan Commission on Tuesday seeking final subdivision approval for 16 additional duplexes at in the 8500 block of Merrillville Road.
But Plan Commission president and Councilman Shawn Pettit, D-6th, told Marovich that the town decided to build 86th Avenue only part of the way, to the end of phase one, and it could be a while before the rest of the road could be built.
The town had agreed to build 86th Avenue to accommodate the development during the first phase process. However, Pettit told Marovich that because money from the Madison Road tax increment financing district that was supposed to be used for the road went to other projects and due to uncertainty in how long it would take to build the money in the TIF back up, it was decided to build only a portion of the road now.
He said tax appeals by big box stores such as Meijer’s, which are in the town’s TIF districts, make it difficult for the town to know how much tax money they could expect from those stores.
“Why are you bringing this to us now when we aren’t ready to build 86th Avenue all the way,” Pettit asked Marovich.
Pettit added, “We made a commitment to Craig and we want to honor it, but he should have asked for all the project at once. We would have planned for putting in a $1.5 million road then.”
Pettit said he would set up a meeting with Town Manager Bruce Spires, the planning director and plan commission attorney, the councilwoman for the area in which the development is being built and Van Prooyen to see what can be done about the road and the project.
Marovich said Van Prooyen wants to build 16 more duplexes to the east of Phase one. He said they would be the mirror image of those in the first phase.
He said 50 percent of the duplexes in the first phase have been sold.
Commission member Brian Dering said there have been complaints from individuals associated with the nearby Hindu Cultural Center over lights coming from construction truck and car traffic.
“I mentioned several times there was supposed to be a large berm and plantings installed to shield the Hindu Center from construction truck and car lights shining in their window,” Dering said
“If I was to make a motion on this it would be contingent on the berm being installed first,” Dering said.
No action was taken on the project because it was a workshop session.
Karen Caffarini is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
