Weaving through side streets to avoid downtown, it’s easy to breeze past the corner of Johnson and Washington without noticing it.
Members of Nashville’s new town park commission are hoping that with a little more thought, that corner can become a destination.
The commission will host a meeting at 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 7 to gather ideas for what to put on this green space. It’ll take place at Nashville Town Hall, 200 Commercial St.
The town bought three side-by-side lots, totaling about half an acre, in July 2017 for $89,000. Since then, two mobile homes have been razed from them, leaning trees have been trimmed back or taken down, a couple new trees have been planted, and the ground has been leveled out somewhat.
Park commission members want to hear from neighbors, business owners and other people about what else should be done with this land.
A small log cabin still sits there which dates back to around the 1930s. What to do with it is an unanswered question as well.
The lots are near the dead end of Washington Street, which ends at Salt Creek. They’re also next to a large, free, town-owned parking lot. The area is subject to flooding, which is one reason why the town opted to buy these lots and remove the homes from them. The parking lot isn’t used as much as it could be on a regular basis; police often patrol it.
This area has been referred to the “Washington Street Park,” but even the name is up for discussion.
Some of the ideas which park commission members floated at their Jan. 17 meeting included building a splash pad there for children — a hard surface that would have jets shooting water from beneath it, and could possibly be used in another way in another season; a basketball court, maybe using part of the parking lot behind the park land; a dog park; a shelterhouse and picnic area; accessible pathways; exercise points; a sculpture park; or simply keeping it as a green space with some seating.
The commission also plans to reach out to Brown County Schools children and families for ideas.
Two other public, park-like spaces are in development near this site, but they’re being done by private entities. Nashville Methodist Church is building a shelterhouse and playground behind the church on South Johnson Street, and a “friends” group is raising money to put a dog park and bird-viewing area in the green space at the dead end of South Jefferson Street, behind CVS.
A group of local teenagers, Kids on Wheels, won a grant last year to create a skateboarding and teen park outside town limits at the county-owned Deer Run Park.
The only other park in Nashville town limits is the Village Green, or “four corners,” at Jefferson and Main streets. It contains a covered pavilion, public restrooms, a couple small play elements for children, outdoor game tables and benches, and maps to help visitors find their way around town and to area attractions.
The Village Green park, which opened in October 2017, was developed with a $50,000 grant from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs, as well as donated labor and materials. However, it didn’t end up costing nearly as much as anticipated. In November, the town reported that $16,821.78 was left in that park’s fund which could be transferred to a new “park improvement fund.”
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The Nashville Town Council created the Nashville Town Park Commission in late 2018, replacing a loose group whose meetings weren’t posted publicly. The commission now meets at 3:30 p.m. the third Thursday of each month at Town Hall. Members for 2019 are:
Alisha Gredy, town council member (chairman)
Anna Hofstetter, town council member
Mark Shields, director, Brown County Parks and Recreation
Alexis Peirce Caudell, community member
Melanie Voland, community member
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