Commissioners discuss Rebekah Park parking
Apr. 18—GREENSBURG — City of Greensburg's Director of Public Projects Zach Wirrig and Decatur County Parks and Rec Director Teresa Kovacich have asked the Decatur County Commissioners for support in adding more paved parking to Rebekah Park.
In December 2023, the City of Greensburg was awarded $417,818 to fund a .25 mile extension to the Rebekah Trail, the last piece of the 2014 dream of a "connection" walking path at Rebekah Park.
The final piece will connect the trails through Rebekah Park to the heart of Greensburg, with added sidewalk and lighting for public safety and a way to walk safely throughout the entire City of Greensburg.
Included in the plans for the final piece is a set of designs rerouting traffic flow and adding as many as 90 new parking spaces. However, with the funding for the final piece exhausted, Wirrig asked the Commissioners if they could chip-in.
Kovacich said she'd been to Rebekah Park counting cars for the last few weekends, and her highest count was 40 cars. She was quick to add that not all were parked in the appropriate areas.
"That's adding people who've pulled off into the grass, used the dog park parking lot, or parking in the Charles Buell Trails lot across the road," she said. "With all the improvements there, the inclusion park, the pickleball court — we're having lots of visitors at Rebekah Park right now."
The design options were for a 45 spot lot for $178,950, a 79 space lot for $299,650 spaces and an 85 space lot for $420,700.
Wirrig said each design used a space-saving slanted slot design, and each differed in the actual space they would carve out of the existing 20.78 acreage of Rebekah Park.
Commissioner Pasel suggested the 79 slot design was the best use of space and the "most for your money." Commissioner Koors concurred.
The conversation continued back and forth between the Commissioners and Kovacich and Wirrig until Commissioner Blodgett admitted that the issue wasn't the design, but just the concern of paying for something else.
"I think if we can do it, the only option is the 79 space lot," he said.
A vote on this matter was not taken.
Contact Bill Rethlake at 812-651-0876 or email bill.rethlake@greensburgdailynews.com.
