Cedar Lake planners give Alta Mira subdivision 6-month extension

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Updated: February 21, 2012 4:00PM

CEDAR LAKE — Planners are giving the owners of the Alta Mira subdivision one more chance to see if they can get the development under way.

The Plan Commission on Feb. 15 voted 5-1 for a six-month extension to the preliminary plat at the request of the owner, who said there is some interest in the proposed single-family residential subdivision on the east of Robin’s Nest on West 133rd Avenue.

Member Robert Carnahan voted against the extension. John Foreman was absent.

Attorney Jim Wieser, who represents development owner TRAM Development Group of Merrillville, said discussions for the subdivision started in 2004 or 2005 but the process to get to the preliminary plat approval took some time, in part due to the need to annex the land into Cedar Lake. The plat was approved two years later.

“Unfortunately, when the primary plat was finally approved it was when the economy went south,” Wieser said.

The owners have received previous extensions on the plat as they attempted to ride out the economic downturn. Wieser told the Town Council that time may have come.

“For the first time in a long time there have been legitimate discussions,” Wieser said.

By ordinance the commission can extend a plat for only 12 months. Plan Commission member Greg Parker said he would rather the extension be for a shorter period of time.

“I’d rather have six months to see if there really is discussion,” Parker said.