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La Porte council rezones parcel for data center, adopts Hammond Grayway, approves budget transfers and appointment
Summary
At its June 1 meeting, the La Porte Common Council approved a rezoning to allow a parcel to become part of a Microsoft data center campus, enacted an honorary street designation for World War I veteran Hammond Gray, approved Resolution R-15-2026 transferring multiple budget line items, and appointed Dennis Caviston to the Fire Station Building Corporation.
The La Porte Common Council on June 1 approved several measures including a rezoning that will allow a parcel to be incorporated into a planned Microsoft data-center campus, an ordinance creating an honorary street name for World War I veteran Hammond Gray, intra-year budget transfers under Resolution R-15-2026 and an appointment to the Fire Station Building Corporation.
The council conducted a second and final reading and approved an ordinance to amend the official zoning map, changing one parcel from R1B (single-family residential) to M1 (light industrial). Craig Phillips told the council the rezoning is intended to be part of the overall Microsoft data center campus and that the plan commission issued a unanimous recommendation in favor. The council moved to approve the ordinance and the motion passed on a voice vote; a roll-call tally was not provided in the record.
Council members then considered an honorary-street ordinance proposed by the traffic commission to designate Hulcom (also transcribed as Hulkcom/Hulcom) Street as "Hammond Grayway" in honor of Hammond Gray, who was born June 1, 1896, served with the American Expeditionary Force in World War I and was buried in La Porte with military honors. Susan Levenhagen, who led the application process, described Gray’s service and the traffic commission’s support. The council suspended the normal reading rules and approved the ordinance the same evening.
The council also approved Resolution R-15-2026 to transfer funds within the 2026 budgets. The resolution as read lists a set of line-item transfers between engineering, code enforcement and downtown professional services, and records a total downtown transfer of $130,000. Some individual line-item amounts were transcribed inconsistently in the meeting record, so the resolution number and the stated $130,000 downtown total are included here as recorded; line-by-line figures should be confirmed with the city clerk’s office for exact accounting.
Councilwoman West moved to remove appointments from the table and the council appointed Dennis Caviston to the Fire Station Building Corporation; two other appointments remained pending responses. Motions on the zoning change, honorary street naming, the budget transfers and the appointment passed on voice votes.
Next steps: the zoning ordinance and honorary-street ordinance were passed by the council at the meeting; the budget transfers take effect per municipal procedures and the city will post official documents with the clerk/treasurer. For definitive line-item amounts or a roll-call tally, consult the city clerk’s official meeting minutes or the adopted ordinances and resolutions.
