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Parks board approves Rees Park barn request and conditional sponsorship banners pending zoning and parks coordination
Summary
The board approved a request to install a 14-by-36 steel storage barn at Rees Park, subject to required zoning approvals and building-code conditions; the board also approved a proposal to permit sponsor banners on a new park fence under city sign rules and parks-department oversight.
Damon Crease, a Rees Park user and youth-sports organizer, asked the Lebanon Board of Park Commissioners for permission to replace an existing 12-by-20 wood building with a larger 14-by-36 steel barn to store program equipment at Rees Park.
Crease said the project will be privately funded and quoted a Roland Mini Barn product with a 6‑ to 8‑foot roll-up door, a 3‑foot personnel door and a small safety window. He said the building would be anchored with footers and hurricane straps and that the club’s equipment and the building would be insured through Indiana Soccer, the club’s affiliating organization.
John and planning staff discussed regulatory steps. John told the board the proposed barn location is outside the mapped flood plain and that planning staff (Ben Bonnetrager was cited by staff) likely will require either a favorable zoning recommendation or a variance and may require footers, which would make the structure permanent rather than temporary. "If you secure it to the ground with footers, it becomes a building," a staff speaker said; the transcript attributes that explanation to Parks/Planning staff.
After discussion of security, maintenance and liability, a board member moved to approve the barn installation "as requested pending the process that is required to the zoning board to make sure that everything is met to their satisfaction." The motion passed on a voice vote.
Crease next asked to place sponsor banners on the park's new perimeter fence to help offset program costs. The board discussed visibility and safety around field entrances and advised limiting banner size, using wind‑permeable banner material, keeping banners away from entrances/exits, and requiring a time limit on display. The board approved signage "as requested pending working with the parks department and the city to make sure that safety and visibility and the timelines of having up and down are followed." That motion also passed on a voice vote.
Board members and staff will coordinate with Planning Director Ben Bonnetrager and the parks operations staff on permitting details, footer requirements, and any variance process. Crease said he will remove banners currently displayed if the board or city does not authorize them.
