Highland backs off plan to buy land for garage

The Town of Highland’s Public Works garage will remain along the Little Calumet River at least for the foreseeable future, and wetlands are the reason.

The Town Council voted unanimously Nov. 25 to rescind an interdepartmental, $637,000 loan the Water Board granted for the town to purchase 9 acres at 10030-10040, and 10104 Kennedy Avenue, north of the railroad tracks and across from Crawford Doors. The plan was to move the Public Works operation to the new property, allowing new development along the river.

The town was aware the property encompassed some wetlands, Public Works Director John Bach said, but they hadn’t anticipated there was as much as there is until a resident pointed it out. And since Public Works runoff could potentially ruin the wetlands, the ideal place wasn’t ideal anymore.

In addition to returning the loan — of which it would’ve owed its first payment this month — the town will also repay $2,800 in expenses to the property owners, including $1,800 for a down payment on a condo one set of owners put down for when they moved out, Town Attorney Rhett Tauber said.

The town initially talked about considering to move the facility to Cline Avenue on the property on which a senior-living center is being considered. Plans were drawn up for cost purposes, but they were never official and were eventually scrapped for several reasons, including the proposed cost, officials said.

Moving the garage from the north side of town would pave the way for development of the land along the Little Calumet not unlike what the City of Hammond has done with its Oxbow Landing development on the river’s north side, Council President Steve Wagner, D-4th, said at the time.

The Redevelopment Commission will discuss plans for revamping the Highland Public Library. It bought the old Calumet Bank building, Redevelopment Director Kathy DeGiulio-Fox said, and it’ll be torn down for parking. The library also will get a facelift.