County looking for public input on Portage Manor land use

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- It’s been well over a year since Portage Manor shut down, with no plans for the former mental health and disability facility, or the more than 100 acres of land it sits on.

Now, the county is looking for public input. Commissioner Derek Dieter and Steve Sass with Indiana Nature LLC invited the public to the manor Tuesday, taking more than 50 community members on a hike around the land, while presenting the findings of an ecological study done on the area by Sass.

"This is probably the last time we're ever going to see this much space in South Bend in an urban/suburban area repurposed. We have over 110 acres of open land here that is, could go a number of different ways with it. We could see development here, we could see remaining open habitat and to have the public come out, learn about the property and be able to express their opinions about what they would like to see done with this public land was, is an important step, an important part of the process," said Sass.

Sass explained after completing the ecological assessment, he identified nearly 50 species of birds and other wildlife that use the land as their habitat, and 262 different plant species.

He explained within those different plants, some are invasive to the area. Sass says that those invasive plants need to be dealt with to prevent harm to other native plants and the land.

Since the land is county owned, it’s up to Saint Joseph County residents to make their thoughts on land use heard. Some, like county resident Tyler Kanczuzewski, say at least parts of the area should be preserved, but it also provides a good space for nature lovers.

“So, there's definitely some areas that should be preserved, and then there's areas like some of the old farm fields that could be restored and maybe more native plants put in. I think there could be great trails, maybe some biking or at least some hiking trails, or great opportunities for birders and people that just love nature," said Kanczuzewski.

They plan to open Portage Manor’s doors again in the next few weeks, hoping to give another tour to the public on the other side of the property. For any questions or input on what should be done to the land, you can contact Commissioner Derek Dieter at (574) 532-2200, or email at [email protected].