By Erik Potter, Post-Tribune staff writer
CROWN POINT -- Burns Harbor is looking to the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Agency to help it build a pedestrian trail connecting the east and west portions of the
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.
RDA board members accepted the grant request for review, with a decision on the $100,000 application likely more than two months away.
The request falls under the RDA's mandate to fund Marquette Plan projects. Connecting the two National Lakeshore segments via the proposed Marquette Greenway Trail is identified in the Marquette Plan, even though the gap between the two park segments is well away from the shoreline.
A second part of the proposal is a plan to revitalize the Burns Harbor town center, updating its comprehensive plan and zoning ordinances.
RDA board members are expected to look carefully at the town center request, which is also identified in the Marquette Plan, to see whether it fits within its mandate.
The next scheduled committee meeting where the board can review the request is set for Oct. 9 at the Purdue Technology Center in Crown Point.
The total project cost is estimated at $200,000. Half of that could come from a grant through the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Lake Michigan Coastal Program, but the town must secure a matching $100,000 before the grant money is released.