North Judson Council Tables Rezoning Requests for Apartment Developments

Picture Source: Town of North Judson FB Page

It will be another couple weeks before the North Judson Town Council decides whether apartment and townhome developments will be able to move ahead. On Tuesday, council members tabled the planning commission’s recommendations to rezone the necessary properties to multifamily residential.

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INDOT’s State Road 10 Project Complicates Pioneer Cemetery Fence Replacement

Picture Source: Town of North Judson FB Page

North Judson officials are working to confirm INDOT’s plans for State Road 10, before replacing the fence around Pioneer Cemetery. Last month, the town council approved a quote for almost $32,000 from White Fencing to replace the current chain link fence, while upgrading the portion along State Road 10 to black aluminum. During Monday’s town council meeting, council member Matt Brewer said White was ready to start installation in a couple weeks.

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North Judson Taking Steps to Finalize Railroad Sale, Discussions over LaCrosse Property Continue

The Town of North Judson is finalizing plans for the sale of its short-line railroad. Last month, the town’s redevelopment commission voted to sell the 33-mile railroad corridor to Midwest & Bluegrass Rail for $2,725,000. The deal cleared another procedural hurdle last week, when the commission passed a resolution confirming the corridor’s economic development area, which was initially created last summer.

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Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum Hopes New Railroad Operator Could Allow LaCrosse Trips to Resume

The Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum is expressing optimism with the new operator of North Judson’s short line railroad. A company called Midwest & Bluegrass Rail announced last month that it had purchased the Chesapeake and Indiana Railroad, as well as three other short lines, from the Indiana Boxcar Corporation. Midwest & Bluegrass is a relatively new company, formed in 2019.

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Potential Railroad Sale Could Complicate Efforts to Extend Erie Trail

The potential sale of North Judson’s short line railroad could complicate efforts to extend the North Judson Erie Trail. The Prairie Trails Club wants to extend the trail to the northwest, alongside the railroad tracks. Starke County Economic Development Foundation Executive Director Larry Wickert told the town council Monday that in order to get a Next Level Trails grant from the state, it would help to have a permanent easement from the town.

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