Fleming extends plans for more time

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Updated: February 21, 2012 4:12PM

CROWN POINT — The Crown Point Plan Commission on Feb. 13 granted an 18-month extension of the primary subdivision plat approval for the 69-acre Highlands of Ellendale Farm subdivision.

The property is located on the west side of the existing Ellendale Farm at 4606 West 121st Ave. That is just under one mile from the Lake Street side of the Lake County Fairgrounds along the north side of 121st Avenue — commonly know as Buck Hill Road.

Developer Ryan Fleming told the commissioners there is good news regarding the development. An Illinois builder wants to expand to Indiana and is looking at starting out with between 10 and 20 lots.

What is different with the Highlands is that Fleming Development did the engineering along with the lot layout. This is being developed in phases and the middle phase has already been done.

“We want to get everything in a row so we could get heavy machinery out there,” Fleming said. He added that for significant parts of this phase the infrastructure is already in.

City Engineer Tris Miles said, “The only thing we are asking is to have language on recorded plat that shows if the city wants to take over the ponds if necessary.”

Fleming told the commissioners, “The homeowners association takes care of all the detention areas now. Is this just if the association fails the city gets it?”

When he was told that was just for the safeguard, Fleming had no objections to adding the wording as required.

The reason for the extension and breaking up phase II into more phases is that the original phase I is in-ground and completely sold out except for one lot. Therefore they must move to open phase II.

When everything is written in stone Fleming will reveal the name of the builder.

In other action, engineer Jeff Ban of DVG was at the meeting representing the owners of the former Breyfogle Farm, asking for a 12-month extension of that primary and secondary subdivision plat approval. The area is now called the Maliks subdivision. It is a commercial development.

Ban told the commissioners that they were working through the details and not quite ready to start construction but hope to be able to start soon.

The work that people have seen being done on the land was mining of topsoil. It is what has to be moved before construction begins.

Councilman and commission member Bill Feder, D-at large, wanted to know if the extension includes the gas station on the corner of Summit and Indiana avenues. Before he moved to approve this request he wanted to make sure that they do not have to come back again for site plan approval for that gas station. This was also approved.