The St. Joseph County Council Tuesday night gave first reading to a bond issue to create a new park in Granger and pay for some long-awaited improvements at the county’s other parks.
The council is considering the parks department’s request for a $6.6 million bond issue. Of that, $4.9 million would go toward building a new Anderson Road Park in Granger, between Beech and Ash roads. Parks Board President Larry Catanzarite says the parks would also use the money to replace the at least-100-year-old LaSalle Trail bridge over Juday Creek.
That would leave another $1.3 million to pay for what Catanzarite calls a “wish list.” It includes updating roughly 40-year-old snow-making machines for tubing at Ferrettie-Baugo Park and cross-country skiing at St. Patrick’s Park. Catanzarite says the newer machines can make snow in warmer weather, creating more revenue for the parks.
"2008 they wacked our budget and so we've been trying to keep stuff together with spit and bailing wire," Catanzarite says. "Our funding now is just now back up to 2008."
Catanzarite says renting kayaks and canoes also brings in considerable money. The wish list includes a building to store kayaks, canoes and tubes at St. Patrick’s Park so they’ll last longer.
The bill is set for a public hearing and final vote next month.
