A proposal to consider oil drilling in city parks received a frosty reaction from the city’s Planning Commission Wednesday morning.

The specific request from city council was for the commission to review the possibility of allowing oil drilling in areas zoned preservation.

Randy Rossey, the city’s director of codes and planning, said that most of the land zoned preservation is “our parks,” including an area by Point Park as well as Washington Park.

While there are currently oil and gas operations in Washington Park, he explained that development occurred prior to the implementation of the city’s zoning ordinance.

That zoning ordinance outlines the purpose of the preservation district this way: “It is the intent of the Preservation District… to provide a district in which only very limited uses and development will be permitted in order to preserve and protect floodplains, water use areas, steep slopes, and special natural, historic or recreational uses.”

Commission chair Angie Dart called that definition “pretty precise.”

Rossey highlighted surveys completed through the comprehensive planning process that identified waterways and parks as “our number one resources, making us a city that is different than other cities.”

“The city is asking this because of the potential to offset income for the city,” he said, to potentially help “shortfalls in the city budget” and to facilitate less of a “need to raise taxes.”

“My speculation would that that’s not going to be a whole lot of money,” the Commission’s newest member, Michael Lyon said. “It appears to me all of the preservation districts are along the waterways with the exception of Washington Park.

“I’m not going to beat around the bush. I don’t think it’s a good idea,” he added, calling it “almost a contradiction for what” the district “was created for.”

“I agree,” Dart said. “We really need to watch over” the parks and historic nature of Warren. “It’s a commodity that’s not easy to come by. We need to be good stewards of that.”

Commission member Ray Pring noted that oil and gas is “part of our culture.”

He said the regulations should “let people do within limits what they wish with their property. … I don’t see it being that contradictory.”

“Everybody has their own perception,” Commission member Mike Suppa said. “I think it detracts from Washington Park. I wouldn’t want to see it in any other park.

The Commission subsequently approved a motion in a 5-1 decision that recommends oil and gas drilling as “not compatible with the preservation district and (to) not recommend it being an allowable activity.”

There was discussion that it’s unclear at this stage whether the city owns more than just the surface rights at these parks.

City Council took steps on Monday to get answers to those questions. It approved a proposal to draft abstracts regarding the mineral rights regarding a portion of the Point Park property.

The cost for the proposal will range from $2,500 up to a “not to exceed” number of $12,000.

Department of Public Works Director Mike Holtz said the item is “in response to council’s interest” regarding “exploring possible drilling in the city.”

She said the specific proposal is for a “horizontal well on the Elm St. DPW property”

City Manager Nancy Freenock said that the funds would come from the DPW budget and that Holtz “would find it.”

The proposal was approved 5-2 with Wendy McCain and Phil Gilbert voting in opposition.