Neighbors,

Here's a brief report on the informational meeting about the "Goat Farm" property at City Hall (the Showers Building) that I attended on Thursday evening, December 8. Teela James, who lives on Montclair, also attended, along with about 25 others folks, many of whom live near the "Goat Farm."

Dave Williams, Director of Operations & Development for the City's Parks and Recreation Department, opened the meeting by stating that the city has no specific plans for the "Goat Farm" at this time, and indeed has no money to implement any plans. We also learned that the "Goat Farm" property is 31 acres in size, and Mr. Williams pointed out the relatively large number of parks within a short distance to the "Goat Farm" (Sherwood Oaks, Olcott, Winslow Sports Park), which suggests that there is no need for any particularly intensive park development at the site.

The meeting then was turned over to two IU students who had conducted a study that was intended primarily to gather input from residents about what sorts of things they might like to see at the "Goat Farm." The study consisted of an on-line survey and interviews with people using the portion of the Jackson Creek Trail that runs through the "Goat Farm."

The top responses gathered by the students included: install a dog park; leave it natural; use it as an outdoor educational space; install a petting zoo; include a small parking lot; establish picnic areas; plant more trees; develop a Disk Golf Course; and develop community gardens (similar to the Streeter Gardens across from the YMCA).

The list of things that the respondents most opposed included: any commercial use; tearing down the barn; housing; sports fields; a parking lot; restrooms; and anything that would substantially increase traffic.

At the meeting, the IU students supplied 4 large maps of the "Goat Farm," and asked the attendees to gather in groups around the maps and mark them with Sharpies to indicate the specific sorts of things that we might like to see there. The suggestions that emerged at the meeting largely paralleled those gathered through the on-line survey and the on-trail interviews, except that it was evident that some of those who live closest to the "Goat Farm" were opposed to the development of a dog park. Some residents also noted that the area is used by wildlife as a way to move out from the more developed areas of the city.

The "Goat Farm" is prone to flooding, so there emerged a concern about the continued erosion of the banks of the creek. Several residents whose property backs up to the creek noted that the creek is now much wider than it once was, for example, and Mr. Williams noted that at some time in the future the creek may need to be cleaned up to improve the flow of water through the area. There was discussion about what sort of bushes and trees might be planted near the creek to stem the erosion.

- Robert