Starke County government officials want to wait on an upgrade to a road in the North Judson Industrial Park proposed by the Starke County Economic Development Foundation.
Their request for an appropriation from the County Economic Development Income Tax, or CEDIT, fund included $75,000 to repave the main road through the North Judson Industrial Park with hot mix asphalt to withstand heavy truck traffic.
The council discussed the benefit of doing so, seeing as how there are only 11 available acres in the landlocked park on the east end of town. They generally agreed any future heavy industrial development in North Judson will occur west of town on State Road 10 due to the proximity to U.S. 421.
Starke County Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler pointed out the county can spend between $50 and $75,000 to pave 300 East from MPI north to State Road 8 in the Knox Industrial Park thanks to available matching funds from the state.
He adds the county can always upgrade the road through the North Judson Industrial Park later if a need to do so arises. Meanwhile, Ritzler says the chip seal surface will last between five and six years.
The council did approve the remaining $195,000 in CEDIT appropriations sought by the SCEDF. All but $15,000 of that money will be allocated to the foundation’s economic development consulting contract. The remainder will pay for the Hamlet fire well and industrial park projects.
