The St. Joseph County Parks Board on Tuesday approved an agreement and a 25-year lease with Harris Township that would allow the township to build a park on county-owned land at the intersection of Anderson Road and Beech Road in Granger.
Their unanimous vote gives board chairman Larry Catanzarite the green light to sign the documents once they are revised and finalized, possibly in a few weeks. The agreement is also subject to approval by the Harris board this week.
The deal would also solve the dilemma that the county parks department has faced since purchasing those 115 acres in 1999: The county has never provided enough money to create a park there.
Background: Harris Township could build a new Granger Park under an agreement with the St. Joseph County Parks Department
An opportunity passed over the winter when county officials originally offered $2.7 million in federal American Rescue Plan funds to build a highway garage and park there, but then used the money to build the garage on Alexander Drive instead because of neighbors’ opposition.
Instead, Harris Trustee Ken Lindsay told the Tribune that the township has about $400,000 to develop a rustic park on its own, likely with a gravel parking lot, portable toilets and dirt trails with a focus on nature. After some preliminary work, the park could open in 2025, he said.
Previously, County Councilman Dan Schaetzle, who represents Granger, had wanted to donate $400,000 from the county, but said he could not get enough political support from his fellow council members this year.
The site includes forests but is mostly farmland. Officials have said the municipality may continue to sublease some of the land to the current farmer for farming while the park surrounds it.
Catanzarite said Tuesday there are still some “minor” changes to the wording of the documents being negotiated with Harris Township that would, for example, give the township freedom to design the park as needed. He said the park board wants to continue to be kept informed of the plans.
When asked why the lease was set at 25 years, Steve Slauson, executive director of the parks, said, “They (Harris Township) are going to invest quite a bit of money here, so they want to keep it for a while.”
However, Catanzarite described it as a friendly arrangement with Harris Township. He said the $1-a-year lease is renewable every five years and allows the park board to terminate it at any time if necessary. If for some reason the county suddenly receives large funds to develop a larger park, it could take over park development, he said.
Catanzarite, who was on the park board when the property was purchased in 1999, said, “Originally, the plan was to have a joint agreement with Harris Township. This has brought things full circle. I just want the public to use it.”
South Bend Tribune reporter Joseph Dits can be reached at 574-235-6158 or [email protected].
