Officials reject tailgating park for fans
MELISA LOU
News Writer
The St. Joseph County Council has voted down a measure that would allow South Carolina- based Go Park Enterprises to develop an off-campus tailgate parking lot for Irish fans.
The site for the proposed Irish park is located between Willis and Burdette Streets, off Douglas Road, and is a 10-minute walk from Notre Dame.
"The project amounts to a commercial venture in a residential area," said Gary Woods, director of asset management for the University.
According to the Go Park Web site, the Go Irish! Park would provide a brick gated entry, a landscaped park, key swipe access and "a 6,000-square-foot clubhouse that provides ample restrooms, cable TV, a social area and shelter for inclement weather."
Each parking space would be about 10-by-20 feet, purchased by fans for between $10,000 and $15,000. The idea is that fans would purchase the lot for life, much like one would purchase a condominium, except instead of a living space, a fan would receive a permanent, private tailgating lot.
Woods, who was present at the council's Tuesday meeting clarified that Notre Dame is not against the idea of a tailgate park, but against the location and current format of the project. "Safety and security are the main issues," he said. "We were not for the project because we always try to be good neighbors to the areas surrounding our campus. To put a commercial venture in the middle of a residential area where there are no sidewalks in a heavily trafficked road is not a good idea."
The council voted 8-1 against granting Go Park a special-use status. Under current South Bend zoning laws, this status would have allowed the company to establish the commercial enterprise despite the residential location, said Councilman Dennis Schafer, who cast the lone vote in favor of the project.
"The park would only be in use approximately five times a year. I stood alone in defending the project because I believed the project would open up the opportunity for Notre Dame not to move further east into the community," Schafer said.
Fellow council member David Niezgodski countered by pointing out that while "not opposed to new ideas or ventures that would benefit an individual or company, you cannot cause problems for other people."
"The venture is a terrible fit. It claims to create a nice family atmosphere, but when you've got alcohol and parties you really cannot get that," he said. "Besides, the community already has a family environment, so the venture would bring nothing new to this area.
"The main concerns are safety, security and cleaning. Next year there will be a couple of night games. The lot is a 10-minute walk from campus, and there have already been accidents on the roads surrounding the University on football weekends," Niezgodski added.
Those opposing the plan also noted that the sales would be limited to vehicles or cars, but the owners would be allowed up to 10 guests in each lot, causing many to question where these additional guests would park, how the influx of up to 5,000 people would affect the community and who would clean up the garbage left behind on resident's front yards.
Homeowners from the community were also present at the meeting where they vocalized their opposition to the Go Irish! Park. Additionally, representatives from Mothers Against Drunk Driving and new administrators in the county sheriff's office expressed opposition to the idea.
For many of those who opposed the project, the bottom line was that the proposal was a good idea in the wrong location with unsafe conditions.
Go Park Enterprises, based in Greenville, S.C., has yet to decide what it will do with the property. The company is also looking to create a tailgate park in West Lafayette, Ind., for Purdue University fans.
All News Stories for Thursday, January 16, 2003
