Recreation area coming together (10/5/04)

The final piece of the recreation puzzle surrounding the Jay County Landfill should be in place by the spring.

Members of a newly-formed local horse club have been working with Waste Management, the owner/operator of the Jay County Landfill, to develop a riding arena and horse trails south and west of the landfill operational area.

Jay County Commissioners received a tour Monday afternoon of the area from Leon Leach, manager of the local landfill. That tour included a look at the arena, which is already in place, and the area of the planned trails. The site will be accessed from county road 500 South about 1.5 miles east of Ind. 67.

Members of the Jay County Trail Riders Association, which was formed after Waste Management inquired about the need or desire for an equestrian recreation area, are excited about the prospect of having the facilities opened next year, says board member and club organizer Richard Jones.

“I think everyone’s excited. The state is really cutting back on the trails they’re opening up at the state parks and recreation areas ... Anytime you can get a new trail opened up, even if it’s just a two or three-hour ride, it’s something you can get excited about,” Jones said this morning.

Commissioners Gary Theurer, Milo Miller Jr. and Mike Leonhard also inspected the soccer fields, which are located to the east of the horse area. The soccer fields are expected to be in use next year, as well. Theurer, who has horses, made several suggestions to Leach during Monday’s tour.

When completed, a gate to the area will be locked. All club members will receive a key, Jones said.

The completion of the horse arena and trails will mark the end of Waste Management’s five-year plan to develop recreational facilities around the landfill. That recreational plan, which also includes soccer fields and a large cabin and lake for area Boy and Girl Scouts, was part of a planned unit development approved along with a 20-year landfill expansion in 2000.

Jones said that members of the club plan to go out and mark a proposed trail route sometime in the next month or so. The site includes a large amount of trees and Jones said the trails will stay in the woods as much as possible. The trails are also expected to wind over and around two large hills of excess dirt dumped near Ind. 67 by Waste Management.

The arena, which is approximately 70-feet by 160-feet, has a clay base covered with about 6 inches of sand.

Jones said that interest in the project, which waned a bit while Waste Management completed the scout cabin and soccer field projects, has picked back up.

“We’re going to have a public meeting this winter. We really didn’t want to do that until we had the arena and the parking lot set up. Now they can go out there and see we do have the facilities,” Jones said.

Officers of the Jay County Trail Riders include Kevin Degler (president), Todd Mills (vice president) and Becky Paxson (secretary/treasurer), along with board members Tom Jacobs, Greg Hersberger, Stan Rines and Jones.

Jones said that those interested in club members should contact any of the board officers or members for more information. A club meeting is tentatively set for January, he said.[[In-content Ad]]