Ice Rink
May 10, 2021 at 5:39 p.m.
By -
Though ground has already been broken in Tabernacle Field for the Winona Lake ice rink project, unless you have seen a copy of the now-closed online petition imploring the town council and the Village to consider other locations, you may not know why many residents and visitors oppose the construction. Their main concern is that the new pavilion and its attendant structures degrade the integrity, beauty and cultural significance of the historic site of Billy Sunday Tabernacle.
You also may not know about a controversial proposed parking lot.
A February news story about a town council meeting Q&A mentions an additional "finger" lot alongside Park Avenue which will accompany the pavilion. This parking lot will obliterate a favorite, tranquil spot for watching Winona Lake's famous sunsets, the likes of which inspired the hymn "Beyond the Sunset." The construction of this lot will require the destruction of mature, healthy trees, the kind that take generations to grow and which future residents and visitors will no longer be able to enjoy if this lot is built.
Much like Tabernacle Field, those who have spent time in this grove understand: it cannot be overstated how much of a treasure it is to have beautiful, inviting green space woven into the Village, itself a center of sociability and activity. These spaces are reminders that rest, stillness and contemplation are a necessary part of community life. Let's not destroy this site as well.
The plan for the parking lot is missing from the minutes of the town council meetings, the website of the Village, the town's website, and the initial articles covering the development – all places where one would expect to see a detailed, honest plan of what is entailed in this project which touts itself as being for the public good.
The petition gained hundreds of signatures in a short amount of time and closed with 633 supporters. “We ice skate too!” the petition stated. Winona Lake residents do not oppose an ice rink. They oppose sacrificing the town’s famous beauty and quietude to build a massive structure and now a parking lot in a beloved space, and the lack of communication and public deliberation about doing so.
Caleb Vogel
Winona Lake, via email
Though ground has already been broken in Tabernacle Field for the Winona Lake ice rink project, unless you have seen a copy of the now-closed online petition imploring the town council and the Village to consider other locations, you may not know why many residents and visitors oppose the construction. Their main concern is that the new pavilion and its attendant structures degrade the integrity, beauty and cultural significance of the historic site of Billy Sunday Tabernacle.
You also may not know about a controversial proposed parking lot.
A February news story about a town council meeting Q&A mentions an additional "finger" lot alongside Park Avenue which will accompany the pavilion. This parking lot will obliterate a favorite, tranquil spot for watching Winona Lake's famous sunsets, the likes of which inspired the hymn "Beyond the Sunset." The construction of this lot will require the destruction of mature, healthy trees, the kind that take generations to grow and which future residents and visitors will no longer be able to enjoy if this lot is built.
Much like Tabernacle Field, those who have spent time in this grove understand: it cannot be overstated how much of a treasure it is to have beautiful, inviting green space woven into the Village, itself a center of sociability and activity. These spaces are reminders that rest, stillness and contemplation are a necessary part of community life. Let's not destroy this site as well.
The plan for the parking lot is missing from the minutes of the town council meetings, the website of the Village, the town's website, and the initial articles covering the development – all places where one would expect to see a detailed, honest plan of what is entailed in this project which touts itself as being for the public good.
The petition gained hundreds of signatures in a short amount of time and closed with 633 supporters. “We ice skate too!” the petition stated. Winona Lake residents do not oppose an ice rink. They oppose sacrificing the town’s famous beauty and quietude to build a massive structure and now a parking lot in a beloved space, and the lack of communication and public deliberation about doing so.
Caleb Vogel
Winona Lake, via email
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