|
|
|
By VICKI URBANIK A preliminary conceptual plan for the Porter County Park Department’s Brincka Cross House and Gardens was outlined Thursday at a most appropriate place: The house located in the 22-acre park. Consultant Chuck Lehman of Lehman & Lehman, which is developing a master plan for the park, told the county park board Thursday that the planning process so far has narrowed down a number of themes for the new park to three: Development of the park for meetings and retreats, for educational and botanical purposes, and for its historical and museum qualities. The park contains a number of meticulously planned gardens, a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired house, and a large woodland area. The property, located on Furness Road, was acquired last year by the park department, which is planning a limited public opening next spring. Given the uniqueness of the park, Lehman emphasized that the park board should phase in the development features and not go beyond the capacities of the park, or else the park will fail. “We don’t want to make this a typical park,” he said, adding that Brincka Cross brings a “new era of parks” to Porter County. Even in its current status, Lehman said Brincka Cross has “far more” than many county parks that are fully developed. “You’ve got a golden opportunity to do something special here that will not only make Porter County proud but the Midwest proud,” he said. Lehman said the park’s master plan will likely be completed in the upcoming winter months and could be unveiled with a spring opening. Plans call for a “soft” opening, meaning that the park will be opened on a limited basis such as by invitation only to various groups, public access to the house and gardens but not to other parts of the park, and access for day retreat groups. A “development concept” outlined Thursday gives a glimpse of what might be in the final master plan. The concept includes renovation or reconstruction of the barn on-site for classrooms and public restrooms, a new Welcome Center, a trail meandering through the woodland portion of the park, construction of additional tea houses for rest areas, and a meeting and retreat facility. For the short term, however, the plan outlined Thursday calls for the soft opening in spring of next year, in addition to improvements to the house and fundraising efforts. Other tasks could include the development of a newsletter just for Brincka Cross and the formation of a new not-for-profit foundation that would raise money for the property. County Park Board member Dave Canright said the establishment of the new foundation is vital, since the park department doesn’t have the money on its own and next year’s park budget has been frozen to this year’s levels. He added that if it weren’t for the park’s existing foundation, Sunset Hill Farm County Park wouldn’t be cleaned up like it is but would probably have old farm chemicals and equipment still scattered about. To advance the Brincka Cross park, “you can’t depend on us, because we don’t have the money,” he said. Paula Ramos, supervisor of operations at Brincka Cross, said she can’t wait for a new foundation and said she intends to start seeking corporate donations for the park’s development. But after Ramos mentioned that big donors could get their names on new park amenities, Canright said naming rights is a policy issue for the park board. Ramos agreed and said the board needs to develop a clear policy spelling out the recognition that donors will get and what could happen if the donors do something that would negatively impact the park. Ramos also presented a long list of work that’s been done at Brincka Cross and commended Fitzgerald Enterprises, a contractor that’s been performing various landscaping work. She also praised the volunteer Master Gardeners who have been working at the site, in particular Susan Gault and Laura Leusch, who were both at the board meeting. Ramos also said that she firmly believes that with more investment, Brincka Cross can become a “cash cow” in rentals for events like weddings. Board President Rich Hudson said Brincka Cross will probably rival Sunset Hill Farm. “This was one of our greatest buys,” he said. In other matters Wednesday: •Park Superintendent Ed Melendez said the location of the proposed activity center and barn at Sunset Hill Farm needs to change. He said the original barn, which burned down in 1954, is still buried on the site, making that location unsuitable for a new building. He said park staff will look at alternative sites. Board member Jim Perkins said he strongly recommends that the new facility is built on the former site of the Murray House. •The park board meeting was the first for new park employee Gayle O’Connor, who has been hired to fill the post of recreation supervisor. She will oversee the park’s naturalist programs. •Audience member Charlotte Read said the invasive plant purple loosestrife is abundant along the Calumet Bicycle Trail. NIPSCO, which maintains the trail for its overhead power lines, has been spot spraying along the trail, but Read said the spraying is hitting trees, not the loosestrife.
Posted 9/5/2008
|
