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The Blade (Toledo, OH)
5-17-00
Mayor Carty Finkbeiner yesterday threatened to withhold city funding on infrastructure improvements for the new Mud Hens stadium unless Lucas County agrees to contribute at least $1 million for the purchase of the Fallen Timbers battlefield site.
In a letter addressed to Sandy Isenberg, president of the county commissioners, Mr. Finkbeiner said that if the county doesn't contribute more than the $300,000 it has pledged for the purchase, "not one penny of Toledo's taxpayer money will be spent for infrastructure improvements around the new Mud Hens stadium."
Mr. Finkbeiner chided the county for contributing less than the city of Maumee, which has agreed to spend $500,000 toward the purchase of the Toledo-owned site.
The fair amount of the county's contribution should be at least $1 million, the mayor wrote.
Mr. Finkbeiner on May 8 formally rejected a $5 million offer from the Toledo Area Metropark District to buy the 187-acre property he said is worth $6 million.
He said consultants for the county have approached city officials asking for infrastructure improvements surrounding the proposed downtown ballpark for the Mud Hens, a project that he said would cost $1 million to $2 million.
City council President Peter Ujvagi said council will not allow Mr. Finkbeiner to jeopardize the stadium project over the Fallen Timbers issue.
"We are responsible for infrastructure in Toledo, and we will meet our responsibility," Mr. Ujvagi said.
He said Mr. Finkbeiner is not authorized to sell the property, and only city council can sell Toledo property.
Mrs. Isenberg said she would like to see an end to the "constant bickering" over the sale of the land.
She suggested that the mayor consider splitting off some of the site so that his $32,085-an-acre price is met and the majority of the property can be used as a park commemorating the battle.
During a news conference held yesterday while the letter to Mrs. Isenberg was being delivered, the mayor said he supports bringing the Mud Hens downtown, but the contribution by the county to the Fallen Timbers purchase is not enough.
"There seems to be a fundamental flaw in the logic of asking Toledoans to heavily support the Mud Hens project while the county contributes a nickel on the dollar for the Fallen Timbers Battlefield.
That isn't acceptable. . . ," Mr. Finkbeiner said.
Mrs. Isenberg and Mr. Ujvagi have said $5.3 million is a fair price for the land, which has been declared a National Historic Site.
The mayor said that price represents a classic case of selling out Toledoans.
He said legislation is being prepared for council to sell 10 acres of industrial land adjacent to the historic site for $45,000 an acre.
Although not all the battlefield site is zoned for industrial use, the mayor said the sale price for the other land indicates that his demand for $6 million, or $32,085 an acre, is reasonable.
The mayor complained that the city of Toledo did not receive its fair share of funding in the state's capital budget.
He referred to a letter by State Reps. Randy Gardner (R., Bowling Green) and Lynn Olman (R,. Maumee) urging him to accept the $5.3 million offer for the property.
He said they should go back to work and obtain Toledo's fair share of state capital funds to help with the purchase of the Fallen Timbers site and for Toledo's Riverwalk project.
Mr. Gardner said the letter "was simply another attempt to help move the process along," and he said Mr. Finkbeiner's comment about the capital funds was unfair.
Mr. Ujvagi said Mr. Finkbeiner should "calm down."
"I'd like to see the city get $6 million, $7 million, $8 million, but at $5.3 million the city is getting a substantial payback on its original investment," Mr. Ujvagi said.
He said selling the land to the Metroparks is not a sellout for city residents. It is something positive to allow the site to be developed as a park to mark the site of an important early-American battle.
He added that discussions concerning the battlefield should not be connected to the development of a ballpark for the Mud Hens.
Harry Barlos, a county commissioner who is a former mayor of Maumee, said Mr. Finkbeiner should not withhold money from the Mud Hens project.
He cited Monday's groundbreaking for the expansion and redesign of the county's Emergency Communications Center, to which the county contributed $2 million in general fund money.
"A major beneficiary will be the city of Toledo because they will be able to house their operators and dispatchers there," even though the county is paying for the project, he said.
"If the mayor does anything to jeopardize the Mud Hens project, he will have done a disservice to the entire area," Mr. Barlos said.
Commissioner Bill Copeland said the Fallen Timbers site should be set aside as park land to be enjoyed by the public, adding that the Mud Hens stadium is a similar project.
"It's not right to hold one hostage against the other," Mr. Copeland said.
Jean Ward, director of the Metroparks, said he intends to make an offer that will be $2.8 million for half of the site this year and a second installment of $2.5 million next year for the remainder.
Mr. Ward said the Metropark District is acting as a conduit of funds from the governmental entities, because if an offer is accepted the district will take title to the historic site and maintain it.
Mr. Ward acknowledged that the second installment is not in hand, but said he has assurances that the state government will contribute $500,000 next year and the federal government will contribute $2 million.
The U.S. Congress declared the battlefield a National Historic Site last year.
In 1995, the site was identified as the location of the 1794 Battle of Fallen Timbers, in which forces led by Gen. Anthony Wayne defeated an alliance of American Indian tribes. The resulting Treaty of Greenville in 1795 opened much of Ohio and the Northwest Territory for settlement .
The property is part of 1,200 acres the city bought in 1987 for $14 million, in what was then Monclova Township. The city had intended to annex the property, but the plan was dropped after a long court battle.
The city since has sold most of the property, which is now in Maumee.
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