By Parker Leavitt | The Arizona Republic
South Gilbert residents clamoring for more public recreation opportunities will have to wait nine years for a new regional park on land the town acquired in a controversial 2009 deal.
For now, the vacant 80 acres will once again be used for farming, as the Gilbert Town Council this month agreed to lease it to local grower Jason Perry for $70,000 over five years.
Gilbert bought the plot for $24 million from dairy farmer Bernard Zinke as part of a larger $50.2 million transaction that raised eyebrows among land brokers for its premium price during a time of free-falling property values.
