The former Brassie Golf Club, located at 1100 Pearson Road, has been abandoned for roughly 3 years now. In those 3 years, nature has reclaimed it and created a thriving community. Deer, coyotes, birds, and hundreds of other native wildlife and plant species that had been cut back for two decades now live freely. It’s also one of the largest undeveloped areas in the town of Chesterton. After failing to develop the land into residential areas, a company based in Texas, Provident Realty Advisors, is now looking to develop its 200 acres into a data center. This portion of the property has already been pre-annexed by the Town Council. Not only would a company with little personal interest in this town be in charge of that land, but a significant amount of it would be lost to the ever-increasing concrete jungle. This means more stormwater runoff as rain fails to permeate the pavement, less wild land to serve as food and habitat for native wildlife, and even more heat generated for our heating globe. Chesterton currently proudly resides near larger commercialized cities, such as Valparaiso and Michigan City, and has many commercial stores already along Indian Boundary Road and downtown. 

If we follow the lead from our National and State Parks, we can help move our community towards a more sustainable future for all nearby residents. This area has the potential to become a beautiful place that will pair nicely with our beloved Coffee Creek Preserve. Even just half of the 163 acres could mean preserving the naturally-formed biological community in this area. We are in the heart of such an ecologically diverse region that deserves to be embraced and cared for; it's what brings people to this area and keeps them coming back. Our location on Lake Michigan brings many opportunities to engage with unique parts of nature, for instance, hundreds of species of birds flock to our area during their migration periods. This brings people from all over the world to our neck of the woods during the Indiana Dunes Birding Festival. The continued negligence of natural habitat may result in the continued dwindling of these birds’ populations, which affects both our ecosystem and our state’s tourism income. Stripping this region of its natural beauty can and will affect tourism and, as a result, our economy.

In addition to tourism opportunities, this new green area could serve as a great new recreation spot for residents. Paved trails from the previous golf course already line some of the land, making for perfect walking and biking trails. A nature conservation area provides opportunities for people of all ages to learn hands-on about the species that reside in our ecosystem. In addition, higher access to nature will instill a positive mental attitude in all who visit or even drive past it. 

It’s important that we advocate for this area now before the annexation is finalized and an out-of-state company moves in. By putting the word out and showcasing that there are voices out there that do not want to see the continued emphasis on commercialization in such a vastly diverse ecological region, we are hoping to prove to the Town of Chesterton that we care about our green spaces and that, sometimes, the undeveloped areas are indeed the areas we desire.