The long-debated future of a Washington Twp. property faces its next decision

Controversial Hithergreen property could become a park, which some residents have wanted for years.

The long-debated future of the former Hithergreen Center in Washington Twp. hinges on the Centerville-Washington Park District’s ability to secure grant funding to demolish the building and turn the property into a park, an answer residents should learn early next month.

“If we don’t get the grant, the park district wouldn’t move forward with the project,” said Nick Meyer, planning and project manager for the park district.

The Hithergreen Center, 5900 Hithergreen Drive, closed several years ago when the township moved senior programming to other township facilities.

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Washington Twp. trustees in September of 2017 approved a rezoning of the township-owned land at Hithergreen Drive as part of a deal to sell the land for $250,000 to developer Tom Peebles. He planned to divide the nearly 15 acres of land into green space and 30 residential lots. Previous plans also included a proposed assisted living facility.

In May, however, voters rejected a zoning amendment that would have permitted Peebles to build homes on the lots.

Resident Brian Feldmeyer said neighbors want the Hithergreen property to become a park and said they value green space.

“We’ve always used Hithergreen as our green space,” Feldmeyer said.

Jim Teske has lived across the street from Hithergreen for 35 years. He has seen the property go from a school to senior center to just an open green space. He said neighbors are in agreement that the turning the property into a park would be a win-win situation for residents and the township.

“The building we’ve watched go through phases. A group comes in and they they get tired of it and move on,” Teske said. “We’ve learned that we can outlast most of them.”

Teske feels like green space is best suited for the neighborhood instead of development, and the idea for more housing isn’t the problem, but rather the idea of cramming too many homes into the property and leaving very little green space for the neighborhood. But the message remains clear that he wants trustees to hear.

“When it was first shut down as a school, we said, ‘Why don’t you make this a park?’ Every time the issue comes up on what to do with the property, we say, ‘We want a park,’” Teske said. “We still just want a a park.”

Meyer said the park district entered into a contract with the township Oct. 8 and submitted an application for grant funding to the Clean Ohio Conservation Fund on Tuesday.

“The township currently has the property under contract with the Centerville-Washington Park District, contingent upon the district securing grant funds for the demolition of the building,” said Jackie Curl, spokeswoman for Washington Twp.

Curl said the park district has not submitted a plan to the township for the development of the property, however, Meyer said it plans to turn the property into a park for the surrounding community.

The total cost of the project, which would include the purchase and demolition of the former Hithergreen Center, as well as removal of asphalt on the property, would be $750,000, Meyer said. Meyer said that 75 percent would be funded by grant dollars and the other 25 percent would be funded by the park district.

The park district will find out Dec. 4 if it will be awarded the grant money from the Clean Ohio Conservation Fund.

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