Jasper moves to clarify rights, repurpose two underused parks

Jasper is moving to untangle the legal status of two small neighborhood parks that have sat in a kind of public limbo for years. At the June 9 Jasper Park and Recreation Board meeting in Council Chambers, the five-member board approved sending letters to surrounding property owners at Hochgesang Park and Seng Park as part of an effort that could lead to repurposing the land or clarifying who actually holds the rights to it.

The two properties are still listed by the city as parks, but both appear to be constrained by old arrangements that limit what Jasper can do next. Hochgesang Park covers 1.75 acres at 1569 St. James Ave. in the Holy Family area. It was deeded to the city in 1948, but a covenant still requires the land to be used for recreational purposes. The city owns the lot, yet any change in use would need approval from a majority of 43 surrounding property owners.

Seng Park carries an even murkier title issue. The 1-acre park at Genevieve Street and Giesler Road is listed by the city as a park with a playground, grill and horseshoe pits, but legal intern Ella Hopf told the board that the property is technically owned by the 41 adjacent owners. It is also platted only for recreational use. The board’s decision to seek quitclaim deeds is meant to clean up that ownership problem before Jasper can move ahead with anything else.

The practical question for Jasper is not whether these parcels exist on paper, but whether they still deliver enough public value to justify the restrictions attached to them. Both parks remain on the city’s locations pages and on Visit Dubois County, yet the latest action suggests officials want more flexibility to decide whether the land should stay as low-use green space or be opened to a different public or private use. That could eventually affect maintenance costs, neighborhood access and future development decisions around both sites.

Hochgesang Park also has a history of neighborhood attention. In 2019, residents brought a petition with 48 signatures to the Jasper Park Board in support of the park, showing that any change there is likely to draw close scrutiny from nearby homeowners. For now, the city’s next steps will determine whether these two parks remain constrained by old legal language or become useful pieces of land again.