Chesterton hears bike trail plan

CHESTERTON | Some two dozen people came Thursday night to Town Hall to hear about the Duneland Kankakee Bike Trail.

Speaking amid large aerial maps and renderings on easels spread throughout the room, Gregg Calpino of consulting firm SEH Inc. spoke about the trail bringing rustic renewal and economic potential as a way to connect to the community.

"The opportunity exists to celebrate the trail, to put in amenities, to have concerts and festivals, so the trail is the place to be for the community to come together," Calpino said.

The Dunes Kankakee Trail would extend from the dunes on the north to the Kankakee River at the south, becoming the first area trail to go north to south.

"We know we're connecting the dunes and the Kankakee, but what else do we want to make sure we connect?" Calpino asked before listing schools, libraries, hospitals, churches, the European Market, restaurants, shops, recreational areas, and existing and proposed trails.

"We've been working with Porter, your neighbor to the north, and that's where the trail will come from," he said while highlighting opportunities and constraints of potential trail corridors such as Ind. 49, Coffee Creek, Calumet Avenue, Meridian Road and the existing Westchester/Liberty Trail.

A brainstorm session on who will use the trail elicited audience responses such as destination riders, recreational riders, organized groups and fitness riders.

Town councilman Emerson DeLaney asked about how Porter County or Valparaiso would link the trail to Chesterton. Calpino said that information has not been determined.

Councilman James Ton said, "The two extremes would not be preferable; along State Road 49, that would not be a desirable path, and Meridian, because that bypasses the downtown."

Calpino said the Duneland Kankakee Trail would be used by pedestrians and cyclists, although the exact type of trail would depend on the type of corridor.

"The ultimate goal would be a separated trail, but it could be a hybrid, a trail on the street," he said.

Public input sessions and design efforts will continue on Chesterton's leg of the trail in future months.