With the addition of new parks in places such as Whiteland, which currently doesn’t have any, communities in Johnson County are looking to increase the number of recreational opportunities for its residents.
In a recent health study by U.S. News and World Report, which looked at counties throughout the United States, Johnson County scored a 19 out of 100 in the Natural Environment category, with just 22.4 percent of residents living within half a mile of a park, compared to 38 percent of the U.S. population. Peer groups, or groups of counties in the urban, high-performing category, had an average of 44.3 percent of residents living within half a mile of a park, according to the report.
Although large swaths of Johnson County are comprised of farmland, much of the population is concentrated in suburban areas on the north side of the county.
Whiteland: No longer sitting on the sidelines
The town of Whiteland wants to build a 15-acre park as part of the larger proposed Saddlebrook Farms housing development, create a smaller dog park near Centerline and Whiteland roads, and build another park called Apex Park on a 10-acre parcel of land just south of the town’s wastewater treatment plant.
Apex Park will include parkour, which involves jumping from one structure to another in an obstacle course, and bicycle motocross opportunities, as well as a sled hill, Town Manager Norm Gabehart said.
“We’re blessed Franklin and Greenwood have opportunities and recreation is not at a deficiency in Johnson County,” Gabehart said. “We will join them. We’ve sat on the sidelines for many years. We’ll add amenities as we go. We took the path of trying to open up opportunities in Whiteland for growth, and with new amenities, we’re trying to capitalize on that as we go to entice new growth.”
The parks are still in the planning stages, so the details, such as the exact size and layout of the parks, as well as how much each will cost, have not been worked out yet. The town received a $7,500 grant from the Johnson County Tourism Board for Apex Park, and $5,000 to build a fence at the site of the future dog park, Gabehart said.
Whiteland is still waiting on a developer before it starts the process that will lead to building the Saddlebrook complex, and with it, the park. The development would cover the south side of Whiteland Road, to the east of U.S. 31 between Graham Road and Elm Street.
New Whiteland: Improving what’s already there
Nearby, New Whiteland has spent about $215,000 since the start of 2018 on improvements to parks throughout the town. The town made several improvements to East Park during the last 12 months, including adding a $90,000 playground, said Duane McCauslin, New Whiteland’s superintendent of public works.
At East Park, the town also added a disc golf course and signed a contract to add a $15,000 shelter house near the basketball courts, which were upgraded with new backboards and hoops, clerk-treasurer Maribeth Alspach said.
The town’s parks and recreation department also wants to repair Tot Park, a small park for children in the Raintree subdivision that was vandalized in 2017, when someone set fire to a picnic table in the shelter house. The town removed the shelter house after the fire, but plans to build a new one when it renovates the park. The town also plans to add playground equipment, but the cost and timeline for the work hasn’t been finalized, and McCauslin says plans are still in its infancy.
McCauslin wants to add $75,000 next year to the $150,000 the town sets aside annually for parks and recreation, although the town council has the final say when it comes to financial decisions, he said.
Greenwood: Expanding its expansive parks system
Greenwood plans to add to its green spaces with a 37-acre park northwest of the intersection of Interstate 65 and Worthsville Road. Planning for that park is also in the preliminary stages so the city has not established a budget and timeline, although the city will have a better idea of the chronology of the project this fall, said Rob Taggart, Greenwood’s parks and recreation director.
Preliminary plans for the park include four softball fields, four baseball fields, shelter houses and possibly a splash pad, Taggart said. Initial illustrations of the plans also include a soccer field and a walking trail.
Greenwood is spending millions of dollars to renovate its Old City Park in the heart of downtown, with plans to build a 20-foot-tall cube tower that children can climb, as well as a rock climbing wall, urban porch swings, a bocce ball court and a pedestrian bridge.
Old City Park is one of 14 Greenwood parks, which together cover 271 acres. The city is also continuously growing its trails system, which spans 20 linear miles, according to the city’s website.
Bargersville: Something for everyone
The Bargersville Parks Department also wants to add a park.
The department has had Kephart Park in its sights, with about 19 acres of land to work with northeast of the State Road 144 and Saddle Club Road intersection. But there is no timeline or budget yet for the project, said Beth Smithey, president of the Bargersville Parks Department.
Initial renderings include a forested area with walking trails in the northern half of the park. The southern half includes a 21,300-square-foot playground, three grassy areas with shelter houses, an 18,000-square-foot community center, wetland detention areas, wildflower planting areas and parking lots.
The town purchased the land for $124,195 in 2015, and could start work next year, Smithey said.
Earlier this year, the parks department spent about $154,000 on updating playground equipment at Witt Park and installing Windisch Park’s first playground, using a matching grant through GameTime, she said.
This summer, the town partnered with the Johnson County Public Library, which brought Windisch Park its first story walk, which places different pages of a book along a walking trail for hikers to read.
Adding parks and recreation opportunities has increased the number of Bargersville residents who choose to be active, Smithey said.
“The exciting thing is, people in Bargersville are truly excited about places they can go,” Smithey said of the town’s parks.
“They can take their kids, they can walk, they can play; there’s excitement in the town because we’re doing something.”
AT A GLANCE
Johnson County cities and towns plan to add more parks in the next few years. Here is a look at some of those projects:
Bargersville:
- Kephart Park: State Road 144 and Saddle Club Road. Plans include walking trails, a 21,300 square foot playground, shelter houses and a community center on about 19 acres.
Greenwood:
- Unnamed park: Northwest of Interstate 65 and Worthsville Road. Plans include baseball and softball fields, a soccer field and a splash pad on 37 acres;
- Old City Park: Southeast of Main Street and Madison Avenue. Plans include a 20-foot climbing structure for kids, a rock climbing wall, a pedestrian bridge, urban porch swings, a bocce ball court and a promenade.
Whiteland:
- Apex Park: South of the town’s wastewater treatment plant. Will include parkour and bicycle motocross opportunities on 10 acres;
- Park at Saddlebrook Farms: 15-acre park as part of a larger Saddlebrook Farms housing development south of Worthsville Road between Graham Road and Elm Street that hasn’t been built yet. Plans for the park have not been finalized;
- Dog park to be located near Centerline Road and Whiteland Road.
