Answering the
Porter County Council’s charge to make a choice, the County Park Board
picked Aukiki Park as the project to pursue funding for this year over the
long planned “Raise the Barn” education center at Sunset Hill Park.
But, the board made
it clear in its 6-0 decision that it is in no way abandoning the pursuit of
funding for the education center which has been in the works now for more
than 15 years.
It was also
apparent the board agreed that the Council had put the board in a tough
spot, considering the projects are located in different sections of the
County.
“I don’t like we
are being put behind the eight ball. We’re kind of getting boxed in and its
unfair. So we need to take a step forward and do the best we can. It’s the
way I feel,” said board member Annetta Jones.
Hearing that the
park board was interested in requesting $2.5 million for the education
center and $1.5 million for Aukiki, the Council at their March 22 meeting
told Parks Superintendent Walter Lenckos to tell the board there is not
enough money on hand now for both projects and to decide which of the
projects they want to commit to first.
Board member Drew
Armstrong got the discussion going Thursday by making the motion for the
funding to go to Aukiki Park at Kouts in south Porter County.
Seconding was
member Craig Kenworthy who said this would put a park closer to everyone in
Porter County. Except for Dunn’s Bridge on the Kankakee River, every other
park property is located in the county’s north half.
The $1.5 million or
more will let the parks department install infrastructure for sewer and
water, create contours for sports fields and a parking lot, he said. The
intention for Aukiki is to have soccer, softball and baseball fields for
youth sports.
“For that kind of
money, we get to open a park that is seven miles from the center of this
county,” Kenworthy said. “That allows us to start changing the quality of
life for a whole entity that deserves to have a park.”
One of the board’s
main supporters for Raise the Barn, member David Canright said he has always
supported having a park in south Porter County and voted in favor of
purchasing the land for Aukiki Park. He advocated however that the request
be made for the activity center as it is farther along in development and
donated money is waiting to be used.
Former State
Representative Ralph Ayres, who passed away last week, had procured $35,000
in state funding for site clearing and preparation for Raise the Barn
shortly after the project was announced, Canright said.
The Porter County
Parks Foundation has since collected about $200,000, mostly in private
donations, in support of Raise the Barn. The family of former Parks Board
President Art Willing has pledged an additional $300,000.
The center would
allow shelter from inclement weather at Sunset Hill Farm as well as a place
for programing, Canright said. “We finally could say Sunset Hill is
finished,” Canright said.
The longest serving
board member, President Rich Hudson said he can remember years ago when
south county residents didn’t want to have a county park but “things have
changed” as the population has shifted.
Hudson said he
realizes the years of thought and planning that have gone into Raise the
Barn.
“To leave Sunset
Hill in the dust of Aukiki Park is wrong,” Hudson said.
Canright suggested
amending the motion so that it “doesn’t lessen the (board’s) support for the
education center.”
“We’re going to
come back year after year until it’s built,” he said.
From the audience,
Bryan McFadden, who teaches a program at Sunset Hill and coaches soccer in
Valparaiso, said he thinks “there is a need for both.”
“You’re in a tough
spot,” he told the board.
Canright said he
had fears that no matter what the board asks the Council for, it’s possible
there won’t be enough for any of the projects.
Board attorney
David Hollenbeck said he could understand the Council’s position and
fashioned the language in the motion to reflect the board requests funds for
the public use of Aukiki Park while “seeking funding as expeditiously and as
consistently” for project capital funds for Raise the Barn.
He asked the board
what amount they wanted for the Aukiki request. Kenworthy pushed for at
least $3 million while others felt it should be closer to $2 million.
The engineer’s
estimate done by Duneland Group put the overall construction costs for
drainage control, utilities, excavation, parking lot and entrance, seeding,
lighting, tree planting and excavating at $3.5 million.
The board passed
its motion as a request for funds not to exceed $4 million.
Lenckos said he
will be at the Council’s next meeting on April 26 and will let them know the
decision, taking any feedback they give.
Kenworthy said it’s
fine if the official request isn’t made in a few months since the land is
being leased for farming now and no construction will go on until that’s
done.
Having consensus on
what could have been a divisive task, Hudson told the board, “We did good.”
Lenckos said he
went before the County Redevelopment Commis-sion last month asking if they
would consider granting funds to help with the road entrance at Aukiki. The
RDC has taken the request under consideration.
Lenckos said that
if construction starts this year, it’s probable that Aukiki will have sports
fields ready for play and practice by fall 2017.