Owners of the Brassie Golf Club land have yet to present their revised proposal to develop the property, but residents at Chesterton’s Advisory Plan Commission meeting Thursday urged town officials to consider encouraging a retention of the golf course.
PMM Chesterton made their concept presentation at the May meeting for building 600 housing units on 200 acres they own off of Pearson Road. There were no plans to reopen the course, closed since April 2021. A number of plan commission members stated that the proposed number of housing units was too high.
Mark Markovich, who has his own construction company, at the Sept. 8 Town Council meeting spoke on behalf of a group called “a band of builders.” The group of local independent builders was interested in buying the property from PMM Chesterton because they wanted to reopen the Brassie Golf Club and build 155 houses around it.
The chief executive officer for PMM Chesterton told the town that the group has no standing and that the property isn’t for sale.
Markovich said Thursday that he was speaking as a resident this time in imploring the town officials to consider trying to keep the golf course as critical green space for the community.
Chesterton’s newly formed Sustainability Commission has made keeping open green space a goal. Golf is on the upswing in popularity and it’s important for the town to offer recreational opportunities, Markovich said.
“All I am asking is keep your minds open. Work with PMM, see if you can come up with a better plan,” Markovich said.
Jenny Hansen, who is a neighbor to the Brassie property, said she agrees with Markovich on the idea of reviving the golf course.
Hansen said that people can only play golf in Chesterton if they belong to the private Sand Creek Country Club, or are invited by a member.
Kelvin Christian, a longtime Brassie Avenue resident, told the Advisory Plan Commission that they should be wary about PMM Chesterton’s past track record.
Christian said after the golf course closed, he and other residents had to call the town about getting the grass cut.
The clubhouse complex off Pearson Road also fell into disrepair, which required town action.
PMM Chesterton also at one time proposed building 80 homes for a development that would have been called Brassie Estates, but never followed through, Christian said.
“They have abandoned Chesterton. Yet now this same group is asking to build 500 to 600 homes,” Christian said.
Christian said that when Chesterton town officials stuck to their principles and rejected a strip shopping area on County Road 1100 North, the community benefited because it eventually got a solid housing development.
“Don’t, don’t give in. This 600-home project is not the best product for the town of Chesterton,” Christian said.
In other business, Advisory Plan Commission President Fred Owens read a letter from Rebecca Parker, the town’s economic development & operations director, detailing the progress of the town’s update of its Comprehensive Plan. The town’s current Comprehensive Plan – which helps guide land use decisions – was written in 2010.
American Structurepoint, the firm retained by the town, has already received 963 survey responses with citizen input. There will be a note sent with all 6,000 utility bills in the town, asking residents to take the survey posted on the town’s website.
The Town Council will be briefed at its Oct. 13 meeting about the work done on the first phase of the Comprehensive Plan.
Jim Woods is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.