Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Carpenter Nature Preserve topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Carpenter Nature Preserve nears public opening; board approves recording of gas easement
Summary
Parks staff and Matcon told the Town of Zionsville Park Board the Preserve’s Phase 1 landscaping and demolition work will wrap in the coming days and the board approved recording a previously unrecorded gas easement with CenterPoint Energy.
Carpenter Nature Preserve’s Phase 1 work is approaching a public opening, Town of Zionsville parks staff told the Park Board, even as crews finish landscaping and begin demolition of several on-site structures.
Matcon representatives said final landscaping and the stone topping for the rustic path were scheduled to be finished the day after the meeting, and that demolition of the former clubhouse and bunkhouse would begin Friday with fences and dumpsters arriving first. “That landscape will be completed, by lunch tomorrow,” one Matcon representative said.
The update came with logistics details for a near-term ribbon-cutting: staff reported 115 invitees had accepted, parking attendants will manage vehicle access using the former clubhouse lot and accessible spaces will be reserved for guests with mobility needs. Parks staff also said a temporary certificate of occupancy is in place; remaining items to secure the full occupancy are corrected ADA signage and installation of gate operators.
Why it matters: Phase 1 opens part of the preserve to the public and shifts maintenance and public-use responsibilities from construction crews to park staff and volunteers. Parks superintendent Jared said the site will be safe for visitors at opening and pledged a public date soon: “we will announce the official opening date very, very soon.”
The board also approved a separate, related item: staff asked the board to record a formal easement for an existing gas main that serves the preserve maintenance shop after the utility told the town the line and a lateral to an adjacent property had never been properly recorded. Parks staff said the easement will be recorded with Town staff assistance and that the Department of Natural Resources, which holds conservation easements on parts of the property, will be informed. A motion to approve recording the easement carried.
Board members asked questions about site safety, parking flow and how the town will protect newly seeded areas from foot traffic. Staff described plans to stake and blanket slopes and place straw and soil stabilization materials ahead of rainy weather. Matcon said a maintenance crew will remediate landscaping damage and staff will handle power washing and final clean-up.
What’s next: Staff will announce the official opening date once the last construction punch-list items and signage are complete. The recorded easement will be finalized by Town staff in coordination with legal review and the utility company.
