Published: July 03, 2008 09:22 pm      

Council to vote on park

Annexation of 80-acre Huston Park site on Monday’s agenda

Logansport City Council members will vote Monday whether to approve a plan expanding city limits to include 80 acres of land to be developed into a city park.

The long-awaited Huston Park annexation resolution will be up for a final vote at Monday’s city council meeting, according to the meeting’s agenda. The proposal is not expected to face opposition, said Janet Fawley, the city’s parks administrator.

The annexation is necessary for the city’s plan to develop the park, Fawley said. The annexation won’t cost the city any additional funds, but also won't earn the city anything, the resolution states.

The land, which lies just to the north of city limits, was donated by the Harry R. Huston family last June. At the meeting where the council accepted the gift, broker David Workman called it a “once in a lifetime opportunity for development.”

In December, the city won a $200,000 federal grant to develop the park. Last month, the city submitted another grant proposal and hear back from the government in the fall.

Meanwhile, park planners are organizing a 2-day event to get input on what the community would like the park to look like. The type of park established will also depend on how much money the city is able to raise for the project, Fawley said.

Developers are hoping to bring trails, soccer and softball fields, an outdoor nature interpretation area, an amphitheater and more “things we don’t have in other parks right now,” she said.

“It’s a positive step for the city of Logansport,” Mayor Michael Fincher said. “We plan on doing a lot of great things out there.”

Brian Rosenthal can be reached at (574) 732-5148, or via e-mail at Brian.Rosenthal@pharostribune.com