Who We Are
Who are the Friends of Indian Lake Peninsula?
Welcome! We are a private, non-profit 501 (c)(3) corporation founded in February of 2018 by concerned citizens of Hendersonville, Tennessee, who wish to preserve the natural beauty of our city. Our mission is to conserve land throughout the city and create greenspace and park land for the benefit of all our residents.
Our first effort was to preserve what is known as “Batey Farm”, two tracts of 73 acres (the “Farm” and the “Hill”) that were up for sale on the Indian Lake Peninsula at Indian Lake Road and East Drive, with the hope of maintaining it as a passive, open-space park, and preserving a natural environment with public access forever.
On March 13, 2018, the City of Hendersonville Mayor and Board of Aldermen passed a resolution to purchase the lower 35-acre farm for $3 million. We, the FOFILP non-profit corporation, then went on to purchase the upper 38-acre hill with $1 million in donated funds.
Now we are working to raise funds and apply for grants to make minimal improvements to the hill. We hope to have a dedication of the hill in mid-Fall.
Thank you for leaving a legacy for your generation and those to come,
The board of Friends of Indian Lake Peninsula
Donations
Three Ways to Donate!
1) The quickest and easiest way is to donate securely online by clicking the DONATE NOW button at the top of our page.
2) You may mail a check to our office at:
Friends of Indian Lake Peninsula
170 E. Main Street
Ste D-187
Hendersonville, TN 37075
- Please make your checks payable to “Friends of Indian Lake Peninsula” and write “For Batey Farm” on the memo line.
- Please be sure your check has your name, address and phone number on it.
3) You may deliver CASH and check donations in person at:
Capstar Bank
101 Springhouse Ct
Hendersonville, TN 37075
- Please make sure the teller knows it's for FOFILP and remember to get a deposit receipt.
We are 501(c)(3) Approved!
In March of 2018, we were officially registered as a non-profit corporation in the State of TN as “Friends of Indian Lake Peninsula”.
In September of 2018, we received the official approval from the IRS for 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt status! We thank local CPA Mike Crisler for his help in attaining this important milestone.
This means that all of you who donated to us directly (as well as those of you who donated via TennGreen) are now eligible to deduct that contribution subject, of course, to normal IRS regulations for any charitable contribution.
You are welcome to call the Chairman of our Board of Directors, Ken Verble if you have any questions (615-419-7969)
Thank you!
What's Next - Phase 2
What's next? We need volunteers!
We have been quiet for a couple months with our heads down, making progress, as promised. The following is a quick update:
The community showed up in a big way for the beautiful preview event on Nov. 17th. There were hayrides, hiking, sightseeing, kids frolicking in the fields, and plenty of food and ice cream to go around.
On Nov. 17th, the community survey was launched and two community meetings were held to seek your feedback. In just a few weeks, we received close to 700 responses. The park masterplan is a direct result of the survey results.
You should have received your year end tax statement in January. Please contact fofilpen@gmail.com if you did not.
In January, we kicked off the master planning phase. A group of professionals including land planners, landscape architects, civil engineers, developers, and trail builders donated their skills to produce the master plan. The Parks Department, Barge Design Solutions, Cumberland Land Design, Friends of Indian Lake Peninsula, and others contributed to this effort.
In February, the master plan was presented to the Hendersonville Parks Ad-hock Committee, comprised of members from Public Works, Parks Department, Planning, and the Friends of Indian Lake Peninsula, for approval. There were a few minor modifications requested, and it was approved to be sent to the Parks Board.
The Friends of Indian Lake Peninsula received its local property tax exempt approval in February.
A donor worked to get our nonprofit approved within their company’s charitable organizations for an additional $5,000 donation for the park.
At the February Parks Board Meeting, the master plan was approved. Next it will proceed to the Capital Projects Committee and the Board of Mayor and Alderman.
Volunteer!
Do you have the gifts of time and talent to donate? We're looking for you! We have volunteer opportunities in all areas. Please click the button below to explore our opportunities and sign up to make a mark on our community!