VALPARAISO | As officials with Porter Health System prepare to present county officials with plans for a new hospital, a battle is brewing behind the scenes to win the right to provide water and sanitary sewer service to the site.
The competition is taking place between the town of Chesterton to the north and the Damon Run Conservancy District to the west, which sends its sewage to Portage to be treated.
Porter Health System CEO Jonathan Nalli said Wednesday a recommendation on the choice is being sought from an out-of-state engineering firm and the consideration will include the ability to serve more than just the hospital site.
Damon Run has the edge when it comes to the amount of infrastructure needed to serve the hospital site at the northwest corner of Ind. 49 and U.S. 6.
The conservancy district's sewage line already reaches U.S. 6 and Meridian Road, which is about a mile from the site, according to district attorney William Ferngren.
Chesterton's nearest line is about a mile-and-a-half away at the north side of the toll road and east side of Ind. 49, according to town engineer Mark O'Dell.
The town would have to bore under both highways to reach the site, he said.
Both parties reportedly have the capacity to treat sewage not only from the hospital site, but also from additional developments along the Ind. 49 corridor.
Damon Run is reportedly using less than 10 percent of its capacity of 346,000 gallons per day and Ferngren said the district could seek more from Portage if necessary.
"There's capacity available to accommodate additional development," he said.
Chesterton is using a little under 60 percent of its capacity of 4.6 million gallons a day, O'Dell said.
What Damon Run stands to gain from winning the service is increasing its revenue, which in turn will lower the cost for existing users, Ferngren said. The users are paying taxes to cover the cost of infrastructure and a user fee for operations, he said.
If Chesterton is chosen, it would gain the ability to provide sewer service to its incorporated land south of the toll road, O'Dell said. There has been no talk of attempting to annex the hospital site, he said.
Chesterton is looking into borrowing money and/or seeking federal funds to cover its estimated $5 million price tag for the project, O'Dell said.
Damon Run's projected cost is reportedly substantially less.
BZA to hear hospital proposal
VALPARAISO | The county board of zoning appeals will be hosting a special meeting March 3 to hear variance requests for the new Porter hospital.
One of the variances being sought is the because the hospital is not designed to appear the same on each side, according to Plan Commission Director Bob Thompson.
"All sides are to look alike," he said of the county code.
Variances are also sought to allow a larger than usual number and size of signs on the building and at the site itself at the northwest corner of Ind. 49 and U.S. 6, he said.
If the variances are granted, hospital officials will also have to seek approval of the general design plans from the county plan commission before breaking ground, Thompson said.
Porter Health System CEO Jonathan Nalli said Wednesday the hospital is still on track to break ground in April or May.
