Saunders Park Area Residents Await Columbus Clean Up Decision

Columbus residents adjacent to Saunders Park on the near east side await a decision on park clean-up. But, it appears they'll have a long wait. Most of the 14 acre city park has been fenced off following reports of contaminants in the soil, including some levels of arsenic. Ellis Hampton and Mary Fourman are longtime residents of the neighborhood surrounding Saunders Park on Atcheson Street. Both report city officials recently visited them with questions about their health. "I guess there were some city officials, I don't know if they were the health department or not," says Hampton. "But, like we explained to them, me and my wife. Nobody that we know of around here, and I know pretty much all of my neighbors has gotten sick from anything they say is in that park. And I've played in that park since I was a kid." Hampton is 71 years old. The nine acre fenced space was used for soccer and baseball. Tall weeds now grow in the dugout areas of the baseball field. Mary Fourman expressed surprise at reports that the park soil was possibly toxic. She's lived across the street for 38 years and also recently talked to city officials. "And I told him if that's toxic then my flower bed is toxic. Because I had Richard bring some soil over, loose soil over from that park when they dug it up and put it in my yard, and that's my flower bed," says Fourman. Columbus City Council will have to approve any contract to clean-up the park. That could come this fall. Council is currently on August break.