The pending sale of the old City Park could generate considerable discussion here this week as the city defends its position in a mailing to residents, and opponents vow to continue their Save the Park Effort.
"We've surveyed 200 heads of household and over 90 percent have said they want the park to stay a park," said activist David Putnam Jr., a local resident who heads the Save the Park Effort."We want the entrance to our city to be green, not just some strip mall."For city officials, however, the long-planned sale of old City Park means that eventually the city will be able to buy several new parks and do more at its current park facilities without raising taxes.
"We're not doing this out of any greedy position. We have the best interest of Centerville's citizens in mind," said Mayor Frank W. Hirschi.
The old 8.9-acre City Park is part of the old 12-acre municipal complex near the intersection of Parrish Lane and I-15. The property has been transferred to the city's redevelopment agency, which is considering bids for it from two commercial developers.
The city expects to select a developer by the end of the year, said Blaine Lutz, assistant city manager. At that time, a public hearing on the proposed terms of the sale will be conducted. According to Lutz, the sale is expected to bring the city $2 million to $3 million.
If the sale goes through as expected, the nearest parks for area residents will be .65 miles to the north and .3 miles to the east.
Among their justifications for selling the old City Park, city officials note that the facility has become run down and that the heavy traffic around it now makes it less suitable as a park. They also expect that new commercial development at the site will include restaurants and stores desired by residents and provide substantial new tax revenue that will enable the city to hire a recreation director and fund other projects.
A commercially redeveloped old City Park would complement the existing Centerville Marketplace directly to the south.
Putnam, however, is not convinced by the city's arguments.
According to him, the city doesn't have enough park space as things stand, and it would be preferable to raise taxes to buy new parks rather than sacrifice one of the city's existing facilities.
As part of his campaign, Putnam has been circulating a list of "21 excellent reasons why our city should not sell Centerville's Parrish Lane Park." He is calling on the city to conduct an official survey to determine whether residents agree with the park sale.
This week, the city is shooting back with four pages of questions and answers on the park that is being mailed to residents as part of its regular newsletter.
Among its arguments: Residents defeated a parks bond initiative in 1992 and indicated in a 1995 survey that they did not want an increase in taxes for parks.
Another concern raised by Putnam is what will happen to Centerville Mobile Estates, a seven-acre parcel with 49 mobile home lots directly north of old City Park. If the park goes commercial, the owners of Centerville Mobile Estates might be tempted to seek a zoning change and sell it as commercial property, displacing its low-income residents, Putnam said.
According to both Putnam and city officials, however, Vestil Harrison, the mobile home park's principal owner, has previously indicated he is not interested in selling.
Harrison's son, Rulon Harrison, said of the possible sale that family members "haven't even discussed it."