Residents urge city to keep Oak Forest Park wooded as council weighs decommissioning and development options

City officials presented four possible paths for Oak Forest Park on Monday, asking the Monroe City Council for guidance on whether to retain the seven‑acre property as parkland, reclassify it as surplus city property, divide and convey parcels to adjacent owners, or pursue residential redevelopment.

Assistant City Manager and Economic Development Director Mark Cochran said the property, roughly bounded by Donnelly, Northridge and Fredericks Drive, was dedicated to the city under a 1985 development agreement “for use as a public recreation area.” Cochran told council the parcel has been largely unmanaged, is identified in the 2023 parks and recreation master plan as a candidate for decommissioning, and appears on the city’s 2024 residential housing strategy as a potential infill redevelopment site.

“The recent master plan recommended some city‑owned properties may be better served if they are decommissioned,” Cochran said. He showed a concept layout prepared with the city engineer that envisioned about 15 residential lots but emphasized the drawing was only illustrative and that utilities, access and feasibility would require further study.

City Manager Robinson and Cochran outlined practical constraints: the parks department operates with about three full‑time staff and six to seven seasonal employees, and any redevelopment would require addressing road access, water, sewer and other infrastructure costs. Cochran noted that if the city pursues conveyance to an outside developer, council approval would be required for any conveyance or final plan.

Residents who live adjacent to the woods urged the council to leave the parcel in its current wooded state. John Hilkin, a resident of 1020 Donnelly Drive, said he and his family have used the woods for decades and that the tree cover provides privacy and wildlife habitat. “I would really like to see it stay the way it is now,” Hilkin said, describing fallen ash trees from past pests and noting drainage low spots and historic standing water in parts of the parcel.

Several neighbors raised safety and maintenance concerns that would need to be addressed if the property remains city‑owned forest: reports of homeless encampments and occasional small fires, dumping of concrete and landscape debris, and fallen trees creating impassable areas. Connie Highmore, a long‑time resident, told the council the woods is “impassable due to many large trees uprooted and laying on the ground” and suggested limited cleanup for fire mitigation and aesthetics if the city keeps the site as parkland.

Council members asked staff follow‑up questions about logistics. Councilor Andrew asked whether parcels could be conveyed piecemeal to adjacent owners and was told that partial conveyance risks leaving the city with irregular, undevelopable fragments of land if not all owners participate. Council members also discussed traffic implications if a new street connection were extended through the parcel; Cochran and staff said different development designs could avoid creating new through traffic but that transportation and jurisdictional issues (including where a new road would connect outside city maintenance limits) would need study.

Council members and staff made no decision Monday; the presentation and neighbor comments were taken as input. Council members and staff emphasized that any formal next step—such as declaring the site surplus, initiating a parcel conveyance process, or soliciting developers—would include additional notification to residents and follow the legal steps described by staff.

Staff noted one legal detail that affects how parks are changed: some parks created as part of a recorded plat require voter approval to decommission, but Cochran said Oak Forest Park is not a platted park and was conveyed to the city by development agreement rather than being a platted park that would trigger the ballot requirement.

The council did not vote on the matter at the meeting; staff said they would bring back options and that neighbors would be notified if the council pursues any formal action.