Vacant clubhouse at Sand Creek Golf Course to be renovated
Two developers will be able to rekindle the long-standing original clubhouse from the Sand Creek golf course in Chesterton.
On Thursday, the Chesterton zoning board of directors unanimously granted the request of Lake Erie Land Company for a variance that would allow uses of B-3 zoning activities in a residential area.
The plan is that Lake Erie Land Company sells the property to Daniel Fowler and Jim Metcalf, who plan to renovate the 7,000 square foot club on Sand Creek Drive.
The clubhouse, built when the golf course has been developed for the first time, has been closed since 2017.
Fowler said that they had not settled exactly on what would go in the building, but that they lean towards the fact that it is an “incubator” for small businesses.
The member of the board of directors, James Kowalski, said that he had no problem with the developers, but that he had done with the petitioner – the Lake Erie Land Company.
“This property had been abandoned for use in the past eight years by the petitioner,” said Kowalski.
Kowalski said that it is unfortunate that when the clubhouse was developed for the first time, there was no unit development agreement (PUD) planned to govern the use of property.
Consequently, Kowalski said that the BZA in this case acts as the plan commission and the municipal council to relocate the use of property.
Over the years, there have been a number of potential buyers who had ideas for property that did not materialize.
The last attempt was from the developer of the Chicago region, David Faganel, who wanted to overthrow the clubhouse and build tall condominiums on 1.67 acres. The Chesterton Advisory Plan Commission unanimously rejected this plan in January 2023.
The association of owners of Sand Creek opposed the condominium plan. But the owners’ association supported a redevelopment of the former clubhouse.
“The Sand Creek Hoa recognizes the need to find an appropriate use for this building which has been vacant since 2017. We believe that limited commercial uses, correctly restricted, could benefit both the owner and our neighborhood while maintaining the residential nature of Sand Creek,” said the letter signed by Chris Jones, Hoa president.
Kowalski and other members of the BZA board of directors noted that the support of the Association of Owners is important.
The Sand Creek Homeowners Association has requested restrictions on the uses of the company which are authorized in zoning B-3. The association also noted that it did not want a “shopping center” on site, but would not oppose a bar / restaurant as long as it was not a “nightclub”.
The BZA stipulated that the old property of the clubhouse could not be used for a daycare center, a pharmacy, a retirement home or a retirement home. The Board of Directors, however, did not accompany all requests for the restriction of the association, such as prohibiting a business, the church, the municipality or school facilities.
In addition, the BZA has also agreed to grant differences which will allow the new owners to have a square monument panel of 80 feet and that the building has only 12 feet backhand.
Jim Woods is an independent journalist for the post-distribute.
