Many residents were happy the request was withdrawn, said Brian Feldmeyer, who lives on Terrace Park Drive, but aren’t satisfied yet.
“There seems to be a sense of dread about what is around the corner,” said Brian Feldmeyer, who lives on Terrace Park Drive and would like to see the property used as a public park. “We are a very large community with no park or green space.”
At times, as many as 200 people have attended township meetings to voice the same concern.
Township Administrator Jesse Lightle said previous talks with the Centerville-Washington Park District have indicated that the park option is an unlikely one.
“It comes down to dollars and the cost of land acquisition,” Lightle said.
Chapel Development LLC was willing to donate more than half of the total acreage to the park district. In a letter addressed to the township, the developer wrote: “We agree that the interests of all public and private parties is best served by preserving the existing forest in its natural state as a neighborhood park. Utilization of the building portion of the site is the conundrum to be resolved by the community.”
Officials placed the Hithergreen Center on the real estate market 14 months ago, after the township lost funding with the elimination of the Ohio Estate tax and determined the facility was no longer viable. Hithergreen was in need of $2 million in repairs, including a new roof and HVAC system.
The township is moving Hithergreen’s senior programming to the Rec West Complex later this year after renovations there are completed, Lightle said.
The township does not have any other offers on the Hithergreen property at this time.
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