GOSHEN - The city of Goshen now owns Fidler’s Pond after purchasing the land from Aggregate Industries Friday.

The city’s purchase, which has been years in the making, includes a total of about 103 acres, including approximately 83 acres of open water and about 20 acres of shoreline.

Goshen Park Superintendent Sheri Howland said the sale was completed for $550,000, and was made possible largely through grants and private donations. She added that the park board also included $28,000 from the park’s operational budget that will be reimbursed to the park’s general fund as donations continue to come in.

As talk of the city taking on the land has gone on, neighbors in the area have expressed concern. Howland said a major concern has been people using the neighbors’ private land as an access to the area once it is on the city’s roster of parks.

She said she hopes some of those concerns have been assuaged through discussions with the park board. “We believe that by providing an entrance into the area, that would eliminate people using the neighbors’ property.”

Though the acquisition of the land has been completed, it may be a while until the area is open to the public.

Howland said the city still needs to finalize a conservation easement with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Though they are not entirely sure how long the easement could take to complete, Howland said it could be as long as six months.

She also said that programming and services that can be provided at the site will hinge on how the conservation easement is worked out.