Representatives from the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks will be in Iola Sept. 1 to hear about a proposed land swap involving a portion of Iola’s Meadowbrook Park.
City Council members remain noncommittal about the swap, proposed earlier this month by members of Iola’s First Baptist Church.
The church is seeking to acquire about 2.4 acres of park property immediately south of the west entrance to the Meadowbrook subdivision in order to accommodate a church expansion project.
In exchange the church has offered to purchase roughly 3 acres of undeveloped green space adjacent to the city’s disc golf course near South Washington and give that to Iola.
Regardless of the Council’s intentions, the swap must be endorsed by the KDWP because Meadowbrook Park was created in 1972 from federal funding.
A handful of residents who live near the park spoke in opposition to the swap.
“It’s nothing against the church,” said Deb Greenwall, one of the residents. “The church has been our neighbor for 20 years, and we’ve had no problem at all. They’re good people.”
But the Greenwalls enjoy having a park next door even more, she continued.
“The (proposed) swap is not equal,” Greenwall said, adding the city could easily acquire more land nearer the disc golf course on its own.
Donna Lower-Nord said that while she admires any church that can increase its youth membership — the impetus for First Baptist’s proposed expansion — the park’s appeal is that it’s centrally located within the city. In addition, the land discussed is used as a practice area for younger athletes.
Wes Orzechowski, meanwhile, noted the swap would result in less property tax revenue for the city because the church would acquire taxed property that would no longer be taxed if it was owned by the church or city.
Orzechowski said not enough people play frisbee golf to justify giving up a portion of Meadowbrook Park to expand the course.
He also wondered if by approving the swap, First Baptist would continue to expand until it became a “Joel Osteen megachurch.”
Randy Johnson, pastor at First Baptist, spoke after the other citizens had their say.
“The last thing we want to do is create a problem for anybody,” Johnson said. “We’re just looking for options. We’re out of space. We’re landlocked.
“I’ll say this,” he continued. “If it’s not good for the city, it’s not good for us.”
