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December 8, 2007

Parks Dept. to ask for additional funds for land studies

Anonymous Pharos-Tribune Sat Dec 08, 2007, 08:38 PM EST

By CARLA KNAPP

Pharos-Tribune associate editor

The $200,000 federal grant recently awarded to the Logansport Parks and Recreation Department will eventually help the city develop a new 80-acre sports and recreation complex. However, before the city can utilize any of the grant money, the Parks Department will need a little more.

When the new city council takes office in January, an additional appropriation for the Parks Department will be one of the first items for consideration. Parks Administrator Jan Fawley said the department will request money from the non-reverting parks operating fund to complete a boundary and topographical survey of the 80-acre Huston Park property.

Fawley indicated the study will probably cost around $11,000 but the Parks Board resolution, passes unanimously last week at the regular meeting, stipulated the department can request up to $15,000. Fawley noted that the fund has a year-end balance of more than $32,000.

Terms of the grant state that the money cannot go toward land surveys or any design or engineering studies, so that money will be used for a trail, playground, picnic shelter, parking lot and interpretive nature materials.

Because of that limitation, Fawley said the department has not yet begun the design process to develop a vision for the park.

“We’re still trying to find the money to do a professional design and engineering study,” she said.

The land, which sits north of the Eel River and south of Smith Street, was donated to the city by the Harry Huston family. The city accepted the donation in June and the land is currently being held by the Memorial Hospital Foundation so that it can be used for a match for the grant, which Fawley noted the city can apply for multiple times.

The land was donated with the stipulation that it be developed into public parks. Fawley said she hopes it can include sports fields, trails and possibly an outdoor amphitheater but any plans at this point are informal.

“We do have a serious shortage of soccer, softball and football fields. That’s in our master plan and the Huston Park will start working to relieve some of those shortages,” she said.

Fawley also noted that construction is still a long way off and that even the projects covered under the grant probably will not be ready for public use until mid to late 2009.

Carla Knapp can be contacted at (574) 732-5150 or via e-mail at carla.knapp@pharostribune.com

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Surveys first step toward developing park

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