Otter Creek Park To Close, Meade County Official Asks For Changes

Louisville Metro Government budget cuts will force the closure of Otter Creek Park next month, but a Meade County official says allowing some development in the 26-hundred acre preserve would generate enough revenue to keep it open.Although the park is in Meade County, it’s owned by the City of Louisville, which received it in 1947 with the federal stipulation that it be used only for recreational purposes.It costs the city about 500 thousand dollars per year to operate Otter Creek, but Meade County Judge Executive Harry Craycroft says his government could take over the park, if it’s opened to commercial interests.“You could use it for development, housing development, for possible industrial development," he says. "You could use the timber off of it to help defray costs.”Craycroft says only parts of the park would need to be opened to commercial interests to make it affordable to operate. He plans to ask federal officials to allow for such development next year. The park is scheduled to close on January 2nd, 2009.