LANDIS — Landis has big ideas for the future of the D.C. and Francis Linn Park and to help bring those visions to pass, the committee behind the project is recruiting new members.

The Blue Ribbon Committee was formed to steer the project to renovate the D.C. and Francis Linn Park, located on North Central Avenue in downtown Landis. 

“The majority of the land was donated by D.C. Linn in his will,” said Ryan Nelms, the committee chair. “We just purchased, as a town, a small piece of property in the back corner. That is where a kids’ area, playground and play space will go — things that are not traditionally in a passive park.”

Landis Town Manager Michael Ambrose described Linn as a prominent member of the Landis community. 

“His family owned the Linn Mill,” Ambrose said. 

According to Ambrose, Linn’s vision was for a passive park. 

“It was meant to be a passive park — somewhere for people to go and think and walk and the kids to enjoy and someone for someone to go sit and read,” Ambrose said. 

To retain that vision, Nelms said the park would be split into zones, keeping a space for passive park purposes while expanding on a larger vision for downtown Landis. 

“We have a zone for a veterans memorial,” Nelms said. “We have a zone for historic Landis buildings. All the buildings, like the depot, the post office and the jail, will be in one place. Then, we will have the children’s zone and an amphitheater in the middle.”

If the vision comes to fruition, the town aims to recreate a historic downtown within the space.

“We are going to create a historic Main Street, where we will have the depot, the jail and the post office, which was actually the first doctor’s office in Landis, so it serves two purposes,” Nelms said. “We will also be constructing a fire station to house Engine No. 1 (Landis’ historic fire engine). That is all going to happen around the depot (which is already there).

“Those are the goals.”

Funding the project

Having looked at numerous renderings with architects, the project committee turns its attention to the fundraising phase.

Ambrose said that the town just got a 501(c)(3) approved for the project. With a nonprofit officially behind the fundraising, a separate board is required. 

Nelms added that they are seeking people for that body who have fundraising experience. In addition to people with fundraising backgrounds, Nelms said they are also looking for anyone who might be good at web design.

“Some things with the fundraising we can’t host on the town’s domain because it’s going to a 501(c)(3),” Nelms said. “We need help creating our own website.”

Nelms suggested a few ideas that had been floated to give donors an enhanced sense of investment in the space.

“We’re going to sell bricks and benches,” Nelms said. 

With the ball rolling, Nelms is looking towards an opportunity to receive input from the community on their ideas for the space.

“In the coming months, I am looking at having an open forum at town hall for citizen feedback,” Nelms said. “It will be an unveiling to say here is what we have projected to let the citizens see it. D.C. Linn wanted this built for citizens and to have their input as well.”

After that, the committee will present to the board because they have final approval over the park plans. 

Nelms said they are taking applicants and would like to have them on the committee by September.