SHILOH — A local Mennonite group, which proposed a new village park in November 2022, is reportedly no longer interested in the project.
“For right now it’s a dead issue,” Shiloh mayor Charles Reeder said Tuesday. “The Mennonites don’t want it.”
The subject of the proposed park again sparked lengthy conversation during resident input at Tuesday’s Shiloh Village Council meeting.
A Mennonite group had approached the village with a proposal to develop an 18-hole frisbee golf course in a wooded area near Scott Street, which raised questions among some village residents.
During a June 27 council meeting, Shiloh resident Brent Wagers presented council with a petition asking for a public meeting to address concerns with the proposed project.
The petition included signatures from more than 70 village residents. No date was set to meet for such a public session.
Reeder said Tuesday evening he was approached by a gentleman in the Mennonite community who told him they no longer want their young people involved in the proposed park project.
Former village mayor and current council member Marilyn Hall said she had also been contacted by a member of the Mennonite community to discuss updated opinions on the project.
Hall said calls to the Mennonite leaders from village residents have influenced their desire to not move forward with the proposed park.
“(Church leaders) advised the Mennonite group not to participate and to pull out of it (proposal),” Hall said. “They didn’t want to be a part of any problems or any trouble.”
Hall said she does not see any glaring issues with the proposed park.
“They (Mennonites) are a big part of our community,” Hall said. “I do not see one thing wrong with them wanting to go up in that area and play (frisbee) golf.”
During the June 27 meeting, Reeder voiced support for the park proposal, saying he sees “a lot of benefit” for the community and feels many residents would utilize the space.
He also noted no public money has been spent on the proposal and the project would not interfere with addressing other areas of concern in the village.
Wagers said there’s a continued need to discuss the proposed park and have a presence at village council meetings moving forward.
Wagers said he wants to make sure there is transparency between the council and village residents in regards to project information such as finances, insurance, and other costs, should the project ever move forward.
“All I want is to have it (proposed park) be in the light of the community,” Wagers said. “I don’t mind having a park and I’m not here to deter it.”
The village has researched possible grants that could fund a park on Scott Street, but no further action has been taken since the proposal’s first introduction.
“We’re not going anywhere with it (project) because the Mennonite member I talked to does not want the kids getting involved with it, so it’s a dead issue for right now,” Reeder said.
The next village council meeting will be July 25 at 6 p.m. at 13 W. Main St.
