The 60.94-acre property – Conley’s farmland – is located between 239 and 2929 Enon Road near Enon Park and Suburban Propane.
Enon village council president Rick Hanna said he was approached in January in regard to the land. He and others in village council discussed buying the land. The village then approached the board of Mad River Twp. trustees to join in on the project.
“It’s been a long and nerve-wracking process,” he said.
Hanna said the village and township plan to work with an engineering firm to “maximize the potential” of the land for soccer, softball, baseball, a dog park, a nature walk and other recreational outlets. The village currently envisions several soccer fields and baseball diamonds for the plot of land.
The development of the land into the proposed sports complex may take between two to 10 years to complete, Hanna said. An engineering firm has not been chosen yet, but the land will not require rezoning.
The village is also working on developing an ADA-complaint facility at the adjacent Enon Park, separate from this week’s land purchase, with grants “already in process,” Hanna said.
Another important aspect of the land purchase is tied to the protection of the village’s drinking water supply, Enon mayor Tim Howard. The village’s existing well field – which funnels water to people throughout Mad River Twp. – is located near the recently purchased property.
“The best way to protect the groundwater is to own the property within your capture zone,” Howard said. “If you can control the use, and you can own it, that’s the best opportunity you can have. That’s going to give us the opportunity to protect that valuable resource.”
Todd Pettit, president of the Mad River Twp. trustees, said the township was excited to partner with the village in order to provide more outlets for families in the community. The township’s portion may be funded through American Rescue Plan Act dollars, he said.
Village and township officials say they hope the recreational area will encourage families to come to the area and possibly make it their home, Hanna said.
“We look forward to a lot of grass mowing, a lot of fun for our kids, our parents and ourselves,” Hanna said.
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