Savannah Ridge addition approved

Subdivision expansion OK’d by Merrillville Plan Commission

Development of a 58-home addition to the existing Savannah Ridge subdivision is expected begin this fall, attorney Richard Anderson told the Merrillville Plan Commission on Tuesday.

The project will encompass the construction of 58 singlefamily homes on just under 30 acres at 76th Avenue and Grant Street.

The commission approved the final subdivision plans for the project following several months of extensive discussion on drainage issues and traffic safety concerns from neighbors as a result of the extension of Grant Street as part of the project.

While developer Savannah Ridge LLC completed all drainage points requested by the commission, the final approval came with a caution from Councilman Jeffrey Minchuk, D-3rd, about the road extension and a question about whether an open space in the plans would become a town park up in the air.

Minchuk said some neighbors have reached out to him about safety concerns over the developer’s plan to extend Grant Street from 73rd Avenue to U.S. 30.

“This would connect two main thoroughfares. I ask you to be as cautious as you can,” said Minchuk, whose ward includes Savannah Ridge.

Town engineer Steve King said he would keep an eye on the road, but added with there being a curve in the road and signs, drivers should be slowed down enough that they would soon realize that what they thought would be a shortcut would actually turn out to be more of a hassle.

Councilwoman and Commission Chair Margaret Uzelac, D-4th, said she would reach out to fellow Town Council members to see if they want the open space to become a town park or left open and eventually deeded to

the homeowners association for the development.

In either event, town attorney Joseph Svetanoff said there should be a note on the plat that there can be no building on that parcel in the future.

In other matters, the commission tabled action on a transitional home for female veterans and their children and gave a sixmonth extension to a proposal for a 72-lot twofamily residential development on the north side of 73rd Avenue, between Grant and Buchanan streets.

The commission gave Robert Farmer of Webb House in Gary up to 90 days to get clarification on how the veterans home would be classified and other issues involving the veterans’ children who would be living there as wells.

But Farmer said there is a time issue with federal funding for the $1.6 million building. He said he would return for the commission’s Oct. 6 workshop and Oct. 20 meeting.

Commission member Brian Dering said it might be better for Farmer to leave the property commercial and label the home as an adult care center than to rezone it to residential and call it a group home, as proposed.

Dering said if the woman veteran is getting trained during a part of the day as intended, there would need to be a licensed child care worker at the home if there are more than six children.

“At that point I don’t know if it falls under a group home,” Dering said.

Farmer has said the home would temporarily house up to 10 female veterans and some children up to the age of 12 at a time while the veterans receive job training and find their own housing.

Engineer Doug Rettig requested the extension for the duplex development, saying he and the developer are still in discussion with the Merrillville Conservancy District over drainage issues.

The project will encompass the coMnstruction of 58 single-family homes on just under 30 acres at 76th Avenue and Grant Street.