STA Seeks Tax Exempt Status


(posted Sept 29)


The Speedway Trails Association is going through a structural reorganization to become an independent 501 c 3 instead of piggyback with the B & O Trail Association to use its non profit tax exempt status. The September 26 action paved the way for the STA to file an the application with the president having the authority to sign.

The STA needed to strike out on its own as a condition after receiving a $1,000 donation from an anonymous donor. The reorganization called for amending the by-laws to include a provision if the organization is ever dissolved the STA's monies would be given to another 501 c 3, not to be dispersed among STA members.

The STA continues to gather grassroots support. STA President Beverly Alexander reported that 153 people signed the trail petition at last week's Speedway Community Day Parade. Only one person signed in opposition of the trail.

The STA is still continuing its plans to survey the trail's adjacent landowners even though a cloud still hangs over who is actually is the property owner of the abandoned B & O corridor. According to the assessor's office, much of the rail corridor shows CSX still retaining ownership even though the court case George Clark Hamilton County Farm Bureau vs CSX Transportation ruled the corridor reverted to adjacent property owners. Alexander said the property did not automatically revert to the adjacent landowners. Each landowner was required to file for ownership, those claims have yet to be processed by City of Indianapolis. She said this might involve filing a quiet claim for ownership like GM Allison did for its section between Main Street and Polco Street. A quiet claim would clear up any ambiguities in title, but the downside is that seeking court action would be an expense to the landowners.

The STA wants to work with adjacent owners in hopes to obtain easements or property rights to the corridor instead of purchasing the rights to build the trail.

Jeff Smallwood of BOTA said that even if the property owners may not own it now, they could always sign over their interest to the STA in case it is discovered later they actually do have ownership. BOTA is the organization that is trying to develop the entire 62 mile trail from 10th Street and Tibbs Avenue to Montezuma Indiana.

The next meeting is October 24 at the Brickyard Crossing at 6 pm.