GRANGER — An idea is emerging that could finally lead to the creation of a park on property at the rural intersection of Anderson and Beech roads that the county has owned since 1999.
The St. Joseph County Parks Department and the Town of Harris are considering a deal in which the town would lease the 115-acre property from the county and convert part of it into a park.
The Park Board will vote on the lease and letter of intent at its August 20 meeting at 9 a.m. at Bendix Woods County Park.
If approved, Harris Township Trustee Ken Lindsay hopes the park can be opened to the public in 2025 after some preparatory work.
The promise of a full-fledged county-owned park fell through over the winter. Last year, other county officials had pushed to build a new county garage on seven acres of the Anderson property. So county officials allocated $2.7 million from the federal American Rescue Plan for the garage on Anderson Road ($1 million) and for various park projects ($1.7 million). A park bond issue may also have helped finance the park construction.
However, neighbors opposed the garage’s construction because they were concerned about potential contamination from low groundwater levels, so county officials eventually purchased an alternative site for the garage on Alexander Drive earlier this year. The project cost an estimated $5 million.
Park officials then contacted Lindsay to find a possible solution, knowing how much residents of the densely populated Granger area had wanted another park.
“I’ve been begging the county for 24 years to do something with it,” said Larry Catanzarite, president of the St. Joseph County Parks Board, of the Anderson property, which the parks board bought in 1999. “From our perspective, if he (Lindsay) does something with it, it would at least be usable.”
This is what a park could look like
The potential park could likely have some basic parking, a nature trail and portable restrooms, Catanzarite said. Park board members and Lindsay say they have discussed some ideas in general terms but have not yet decided.
It would be limited to what the community can afford. Lindsay said the community may have about $400,000 to develop the park, but stressed that the process is still in its early stages.
Dan Schaetzle, the county council member representing the district, had hoped to provide the community with that amount from county funds as requested by Lindsay. But after some political wrangling within the council, he said, it looks like he won’t be able to gain support for the funding, at least for now.
Lindsay, who is keen to see the project through, said it is not ideal but the municipality will be able to raise the funds “largely due to years of strict financial management.”
The municipality has no parks department or park staff, but operates two parks, one on Elm Road and one on Brummitt Road.
“Shade and seating are important, I’ve learned that over the years,” Lindsay said, noting that the community has added trees and a “beautiful gazebo” to Brummit Road Park. “I spend a lot of time on design and ways to minimize maintenance due to our staffing shortages. Creativity is key, as are volunteers.”
Recently, volunteers from Granger Community Church helped lay mulch at Elm Road Park to mark a path through a prairie that is currently being restored.
In contrast, a county park might have walking trails, paved parking, a gazebo, and playground equipment, and staff would regularly maintain it and organize programs.
Whatever the municipality develops at this site now and in the future must be approved by the park administration, according to Catanzarite.
This is how the rental agreement would work
He said the lease, which costs $1 a year, is renewable every five years, with the option that the park board can terminate the lease at any time if it feels the park is not meeting its expectations. Because Linsday is an elected official, Catanzarite said, it also gives the park board an option in the event that a future trustee loses interest in the park.
“We don’t want to lose control of the property,” Catanzarite said.
He said the lease is similar to the one the University of Notre Dame holds for the ND-LEEF portion of St. Patrick’s County Park in South Bend, where Notre Dame is conducting experiments with a controlled ecosystem at the east end of the park, though the public will still have access to surrounding trails.
Officials say they have not yet decided how much of the 115 acres will be used as a park, but the agreement would allow Harris Township to sublease the rest for agriculture. Since owning the property, the county has leased most of it, except for a wooded portion, to farmers. This, Catanzarite said, has provided “relatively insignificant” revenue to the park department.
Corn is currently grown on the site, but Catanzarite said the board would like to see a shorter crop, such as soybeans, to provide a clearer view for park visitors.
As a park element, he particularly likes the Gastgraben with its clear water and sandy soil. The ditch, which is more like a stream, runs along the southeast corner of the property, in his opinion.
Although Lindsay’s park concepts are not as large as a county park, Catanzarite said, “It made more sense than leaving it idle.”
Find columnist Joseph Dits on Facebook at SBTOutdoorAdventures or 574-235-6158 or [email protected].
