Veterans Park Expansion in Avon Means More Flag Football, Cross Country Course

The city’s purchase of 18.5 acres adjacent to Veterans Memorial Park last week means more recreation area for the city of Avon as the park expands.

"We paid $375,000 for that property and it's very convenient," Mayor Jim Smith said of the land at 4149 Case Road, purchased from the Berthold estate. "It's attached to the park, it's not property all by iteself."

Recreation Director Diane Corrao said plans are still very preliminary but the city is looking to add additional small football fields as well as a cross-country trail.

“Veterans Park…the type of fields it doesn’t have is small 3 by 60 football fields,” Corrao said.

That type of field supports flag football.

“Our flag football is really growing, we have more than 300 kids in the program,” she said of the program for kindergartners through fourth-graders. “Right now they are out in the outfield of the baseball diamond.”

Last year’s wet fall combined with flag football meant more wear and tear on the diamond and Corrao said it would be nice not to have to repair the area come spring.

“It gets wet, there’s some damage,” she said.

Small fields are also preferable since the city doesn’t want recreation beneath the utility wires that are over the new area.

Changes to the park, however, will have to wait until “after harvest.” Current renters have an agreement to farm the land this year. The area is currently being plowed and prepped to accommodate corn through July.

Access to Case Road

The additional 18.5 acres had an added bonus: It will allow the city to add and entrance/exit from the park to Case Road. The addition to the vast park would be a safety.

“This will also give us another access option for Case Road," Smith said. "When we have the Duct Tape Festival, I'm not going to say I'm not uncomfortable with all those cars lined down one road."

Smith added the property, which would not be valuable to developers with high tension wires above it, was purchased at a good price for the

Cross country meet would be a first

Other plans for the expanded park include a cross-country course. Previously, the park was slightly shy of meeting the requirements.

“The middle school is looking to have a cross country meet out there,” Corrao said. “It would be the first time Avon will be hosting one in the park. There was a preliminary course before it was expanded and it was too short.  It’s the perfect place for it.

"It’s such a beautiful park to showcase at a meet.”