A deal with one North Main Street property owner will help Crown Point officials bring city-maintained fire hydrants to the commercial properties on the east side of roadway.

The Board of Public Works and Safety recently accepted into its inventory a water line run from the west side of North Main Street, under the roadway to the Oil Express auto service campus owned by Dan Randolph at 1498 N. Main St. Randolph dedicated the water line to the city in exchange for maintenance of the hydrant on his property.

Mayor David Uran said when Randolph first built his business in the 1980s and then added other components to the campus in the early 1990s, it was common for the business owner to pay for the water line and the fire hydrant for a property.

Looking at the public safety side of things, getting a line to the east side of North Main Street is important, Uran said. The deal will enable the city to have hydrants added on the east side of the street as new development occurs, such as the construction of a new location for Pop's Restaurant and an adjacent Jimmy John's.

The water line is valued at $52,376, based on the cost the city would incur if it were to run a line underneath the street.

By dedicating the water line to the city, it will enable the installation of more fire hydrants on the east side of the street, allowing the fire department to better service the commercial district, Capt. Dave Crane with Crown Point Fire Rescue said.

“This fixes a huge problem for us,” Crane said.

There is no access to fire hydrants for commercial businesses on the east side of the street. The lone hydrant that services the Oil Express campus is surrounded by a fence and not easily accessible for businesses outside the campus.

If a fire were to occur outside the Oil Express campus, firefighters would have to close North Main Street to run their fire hoses across the street to battle the blaze. By opening up access to the water line, hydrants can be added with new development.

Board member Robert Clemons said the deal was a good one for the city.

“Public safety is a big deal for us,” Clemons said.

Carrie Napoleon is a freelance reporter for the Post Tribune.