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Hammond board approves trail resurfacing, traffic closures and a string of rehabilitation status dates
Summary
The Hammond Board of Public Works and Safety approved a series of routine operational items including trail resurfacing and temporary closures, asset transfers, permits and set status dates for multiple property rehabilitation cases.
The Hammond Board of Public Works and Safety on its regular agenda approved routine operational requests including trail resurfacing, temporary lane and intersection closures, an asset transfer to the police department and several right-of-way permits, and it set status dates or rescission orders for multiple rehabilitation cases.
City staff reported that Westlake contractor FH Passion requested temporary closures at two railroad crossings to replace ties: closure at 160 Fifth at the Westlake Crossing starting Saturday, Sept. 13, reopening Monday, Sept. 15; and closure at 170 Third starting Tuesday, Sept. 16, completing Thursday, Sept. 18. Staff said advance warning signs were posted and recommended approval; board members concurred.
The board also approved a requested intermittent closure of the Erie Lackawanna Trail between Sibley Street and 8094 to allow Milestone, under a contract approved by the Board of Public Works and Safety, to complete tree trimming, subgrade treatment, landscape restoration, milling and paving; staff said advanced signs are posted. William Short, identified in correspondence as Hammond chief of police, submitted an asset-transfer form moving a 2021 Ford Explorer SC from the mayor's office to the Hammond Police Department; the board approved the transfer.
Other approvals included renewal of amusement device licenses for Pepe's restaurant and K and P Laundromat and right-of-way permits for utility work (two Nipsco gas-service retirements, Nipsco gas hook-up at Clark Fields, and a Comcast line down Fayette Street). The board approved an agreement with Access Architecture / Inferior Interiors for remaining design work on Hammond Fire Department Station No. 7; staff reported the controller's office, engineering and the fire department had reviewed the contract.
On property-enforcement matters, the board granted several procedural updates and set status dates for rehabilitation agreements: it approved an agreement to rehabilitate the property at 11 Sibley Street (with a status date set for Dec. 11), approved an order to rescind and release the demolition order for 1476 Shell Street at the owner's request, and set status dates for multiple rehabilitation properties including 1430 Stanton (status set for Oct. 2), 10/21 Moss (Oct. 2), 7327 Chestnut (status set for Sept. 18 with the owner ordered to appear), 847 Seventeenth Street (set for Nov. 6), and 5217 Homan (contractor and owner ordered to appear; status set for Sept. 25). The board accepted a signed covenant for 7235-41 Calumet and directed it be recorded.
Several property owners and contractors provided updates during status calls. For 1430 Stanton, owner representative Mister Luna said the project was about “95% done” and contractors anticipated final inspections; the board set the file for Oct. 2. For 7327 Chestnut the board ordered the owner to appear at the Sept. 18 status hearing and requested updated inspection photos. For 847 Seventeenth, owner Mister Sears said he has bids and is seeking an HVAC contractor and estimated a drywall-finishing timeline of four to six weeks; the board set the matter for Nov. 6.
Where applicable, the board instructed staff to follow up with inspection photos, to order owners or contractors to appear at the next status hearing, and to forward approved items to the appropriate implementing departments (public works, police, engineering, controller). Most routine approvals were recorded as recommended and concurred; the transcript does not include roll-call vote tallies for each item.
