City will purchase land next to water park

Photo by Davi Stuhlsatz

The Derby City Council is expected to approve the purchase of land beside Rock River Rapids. A use for the property has not been determined, but a family of ducks has found standing water on the property to be attractive.

By Linda Stinnett

The Derby City Council will be asked at its Feb. 28 meeting to approve the purchase of vacant land north of Rock River Rapids.

The city has negotiated the purchase of the property at 1901 E. Glen Hills Drive down to $200,000. The owner, Dr. Rod Jones, had asked for $237,000 in late 2011 and at one point the listed price had been $396,000, according to Kathy Sexton, city manager.

The four-acre parcel has previously been mentioned for other potential uses. It was at one time linked to an area community college for its expansion and one developer later proposed a hotel on the site. The hotel would have utilized its close proximity to the water park to attract summer visitors.

Neither of those uses came to fruition. That, along with the current market which has slowed commercial activity, has worked in the city’s favor.

“Because acquisition of land is more difficult and expensive when the market is strong and prices are escalating, it is important for the city to identify potential locations for various city facilities and activities and to purchase land when terms are favorable to the city,” Sexton wrote in a staff report.

This purchase is being made as the city continues to look for property for public facilities and park space, she said.

“It’s one of those pieces of land that we’re thinking long term,” she said. “If you don’t buy it now, prices of land keep going up ... It can limit your goal.”

Sexton said it’s easy to think up ideas for use of the land. An expansion of Rock River Rapids could factor into future decisions, but while it has been discussed it has not received any approval from the city or Derby Recreation Commission.

At present, the city and DRC will continue to use the small ball fields on the property which will become the future Madison Avenue Central Park at Derby and Madison. After this coming season, those softball and soccer teams could move their practices to the grassy fields on Glen Hills Drive, she said. The city is not looking at the acreage for ball tournaments, she said.

Those teams could make dual use of the parking lot at the water park, she said.

Due to the planning for the Madison Avenue Central Park and the future Warren Riverview Park, the city is stepping up a multi-year plan to study the ball parks in the city.

“What we are doing now is saying, ‘Let’s look at all the fields together in 2012,’” Sexton said.

All of the factors of city parks needs and future facility needs will factor into the planning for the new acreage, she said. The current zoning on the land is “Institutional,” and would have to be changed for ball fields to be placed on the land.

“Whether different city facilities ... or a park ... it is a good piece of land for the city to own,” she said.

The purchase will be made from funds the city has put aside in its Capital Improvement Reserve Fund. Since implementing a priority to acquire land for future growth in the past few years, the city has put aside at least $100,000 a year to be used for land acquisition.

The city council has held several executive (closed) sessions in recent months on the acquisition of land for future parks. At its past meeting, a closed session was held to discuss selling city property, but that was not linked to this decision, Sexton said.

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City will purchase land next to water park

By Linda Stinnett

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