2002

Marion County Alliance of Neighborhood Associations

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The opinions expressed in these articles and features are those of their author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of McANA or the opinion of its Directors or Officers.

McANA Parks Oversight Committee
by Merri Anderson

It is indeed time to celebrate the acquisition of new park acreage in Decatur Township with the successful purchase of the ‘Mann Property’ as well as ‘Cottonwood Lakes’ making Southwestway Park the second largest Regional Park in Marion County. The dedicated efforts of an army of soldiers made this a roaring example of what a committed community can do when they join together and work hard to accomplish a desired goal. Congratulations are in order for all who contributed to the success.

Indianapolis has a sizable deficit in parks and green space that won’t be alleviated simply through the creation of small ‘pocket parks’ in developing subdivisions, nor the linear expansion of the greenways throughout the county. A concerted effort must again be made if we are ever to catch up with the necessary land for recreation and conservation.

Park land is worthy and important not only for the current users of parks. It also contributes directly to a higher degree of those ‘intangible’ quality of life issues that drive economic health and development of the central Indiana area. Popular sports franchises (of which Indianapolis is rife: count them--there are more than 8!) are not better magnets than a clean environment and plenty of accessible, natural spaces for families to enjoy. In a 1999, Money magazine reported that quality of life ranked higher than low taxes and much higher than the presence of major league sports. More companies--and the people who work for them--wanted good parks and environment than dozens of other indicators listed.

We can continue to campaign for MORE land and better facilities on that new land, and even advocate that land be simply set aside and preserved naturally. But, for right now, we can address the way that we use and improve our existing open spaces, parks, and greenways. We need to address the fact that our parks are under funded and underutilized (in general).

McANA’s Parks Oversight Committee--POC--wants to hear your concerns and explore some common issues with the goal of addressing what needs to be changed and improving everyone’s experience with our parks. There is much work to be done--just as raising $300,000 was a lot for the folks who rallied to expand Southwestway Park--but their example proves that together, we can do it.

If you see a need to advocate for our existing parks as well as create new ones to meet our growing needs in Marion County, then, please contact Merri Anderson at anderson@mcandindy.org or leave a message at 241-9647 with best time to return the call.