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Two ongoing projects were presented to the Kosciusko County Commissioners Tuesday for their support.
Kosciusko County Community Coordinator Amy Roe and Richard Patton, Bowen Health, spoke on the Enchanted Hills Healthy Outdoor Park Equipment (HOPE) Project.
“So we are here today because we have been asked to consider adding the Enchanted Hills HOPE Project to our list of county projects for the CAP (Community Amenities Program) grant,” Roe said.
She stated she and County Commissioner Sue Ann Mitchell met with Patton to talk about the project, as well as with Zach Dripps, director of operations and community development at Michiana Area Council of Governments (MACOG), to understand the details of the project and to make sure “everything was as needed to be.” Roe said Mitchell let her know that she thought the HOPE project was a “good move to be able to provide support for that.”
In order to officially make that happen, Roe said they needed a letter of support from the commissioners and the county council. She presented them with a letter of support she drafted for their review.
Patton said he’s served in Enchanted Hills with Bowen Health for a month or two short of 17 years.
“Affecting the resources, specifically the public use resources, the resources that the community can use, has really helped with crime, some of the poverty circumstances,” he said. “And, this is a park that was basically developed in the late ’60s, adjacent to the shores of Wawasee, and a lot of those amenities that were put in originally, a few are still there, but a lot have had to come out because they deteriorated so bad.”
Bowen was approached by the homeowners association because Bowen had affected some other park resources in Enchanted Hills as their initial push into the neighborhood, Patton explained.
“We’re asking for your support of the application for roughly half of the project cost. So that would be $245,000, without any money coming from the county, but rather from the CAP funds,” Patton said.
CAP is a $5 million grant initiative designed to fund transformative public projects that will enhance the quality of life in towns in the county. CAP was established through the Orthopedic Industry Retention Initiative (OIRI) and is managed by the K21 health Foundation.
Mitchell made the motion to approve the letter, and the motion passed 3-0.
Mitchell then said, “I have to tell you, he had some very impressive drawings of what is expected out there, and I believe that would provide a great program for the many kids that are in that area and the people he serves so well. You have to talk to him about five minutes until you understand his passion for what he does, so thank you. Thank you very much.”
Another presentation to the commissioners was made by Tracey Ford, executive director of the Syracuse-Wawasee Trails.
“The reason I’m here today is I have a brief update, just for the record, on our federal EDI (Economic Development Initiative) Community Project Funding application. As of Friday, that’s been submitted, with Kosciusko County serving as our governmental entity on it,” she said. “And, secondly, I am here to answer any questions that you all might have, but first I would like to say and really express our appreciation for your support on this.”
She said “it takes a village to get these projects moving and keep them moving.” In looking for additional funding sources, she said they really appreciated the support the county has provided them for their Indiana Trails Program (ITP) application, as well as the support for the Wawasee South project.
“Other than that, we just await. It’s a big ‘if,’ but if they choose us to move forward, we’ve been told it takes several months, so I will be happy to keep you guys in the loop,” Ford said.
Commissioner Bob Conley asked what the dollar amount was.
Ford said when they spoke with U.S. Rep. Marlin Stutzman’s office, they recommended the “sweet spot” for these type of projects is $1.8 million to $2 million. “So we did give a range. They thought that would give us a little bit more opportunity with flexibility while they were reviewing the application,” she said.
Commissioner Cary Groninger asked the specifics on the project.
“It’s for Wawasee South, and Wawasee South is a corridor along State Road 13. It’s approximately 2.2 miles from Grand View Drive down to the Wawasee Middle School. And the reason this project is so important to us is it’s not only going to extend our trail system for our community, residents and visitors, but we really found it’s going to help to improve safety. There’s a huge safety issue along this corridor. We do frequently see walkers, bikers, kids moving from school to school along State Road 13, which is quite dangerous to do,” Ford explained.
“So, we really, truly believe that this is also an infrastructure project, as well as extending the trail system for us and for the county. It’s going to enhance the mobility and activity for our residents. It’s going to give an ability for our students to get from the middle school to the high school, as well as additional trail for visitors and tourists,” she continued.
The county commissioners approved to be the grant pass-through for the Syracuse-Wawasee Trails.
