The Jefferson City Parks and Recreation Commission officially has purchased Green Berry Acres for $95,000.
The sale of the property to Parks from the Girls Scouts of the Missouri Heartland closed Tuesday, which made the contract for sale a publicly-available document.
Green Berry Acres, a former Girl Scouts property on Green Berry Road, is roughly 4.3 acres and includes a log cabin, a picnic shelter, outdoor grills and a fire circle. The property has been used for hiking, nature activities and service projects.
In mid-May, several residents of Green Berry Road told commissioners and staff Green Berry Acres had been put up for sale and they would like to see the Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department purchase the land for a neighborhood park. Later that month, the commission took a vote in closed session on whether to put in a bid on the property, after learning of at least two other bids - one from the Kids in Montessori, or KIM, School.
In late May, Director of Parks, Recreation and Forestry Bill Lockwood sent an email to an official of the Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland indicating an executive committee had voted not to sell the property to Parks asking the recommendation be tabled for the full board of directors to consider. Lockwood also indicated the Parks and Recreation Commission authorized increasing the bid on the property, though any information concerning how much the department was offering was redacted from the email.
In early June, the City Council approved an impromptu resolution to support the efforts to purchase the property for a public park after hearing several residents voice their support.
Lockwood hopes to hold a ribbon-cutting event in the next few weeks, where neighborhood residents could come and discuss what they would like to see Parks do with the property. He said his understanding so far is residents would prefer the property be maintained as a gated facility, available for walk-ins from the neighborhood and for rental to other groups.
Whatever is decided in terms of future planning, one thing is certain - people want to use the property. Lockwood said within two hours of the closing Tuesday, the department already had a request to rent the property for a wedding. (Lockwood noted staff has not set any rental rates or policies yet.) And several people were said to be out at the property Tuesday night, searching for Civil War remnants and celebrating the purchase.