The Westfield Parks and Recreation Board on Aug. 6 voted to authorize the city’s interest in purchasing roughly 22.5 acres known in the meeting as the Mary Ann White property, identified for future park development in the department’s master plan.

Parks Director Chris described the parcel as located on the northwestern corner of 186 and Casey Road (referred to in the meeting at times with variant numbering) and said the city has the authority to pursue acquisition under Resolution 25-146. "This gives us the ability to purchase 22.5 acres on the Northwest Corner Of 1866 And Casey Road, currently known as the Mary Ann White property," Chris said. He told the board the parcel was brought to the department’s attention as a potential park site and that the sellers returned with a lower purchase price after an earlier asking price did not result in a sale.

Chris said the purchase price under discussion was reduced from an original asking price of $2,200,000 to $1,200,000. He told the board the city would fund the acquisition from its capital projects fund — described in the meeting as the "$2.66 fund" — and that funds had been earmarked there after another capital project was removed from the current year’s plan. "There will be no additional appropriation or additional burden on the budget in order to accomplish this purchase," Chris said.

The director noted that while portions of the site are in a floodway, about 10 to 12 acres of the parcel are developable for recreational uses. The board moved to approve Resolution 25-146; roll call was unanimous: Mike Antrim yes, Curtis Baumgartner yes and Julie Grimmer yes. The motion carried.

No substantive amendments, contingencies or timeline for closing were read into the record at the meeting; the board’s action at the Aug. 6 meeting authorizes pursuing the purchase and commits available capital-project funds to acquisition pending finalization of terms.