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$100,000 for Ravenna park needs state OK City must first submit proposal; planning panel to meet Monday

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Diane Smith
July 12, 2009

 

By Diane Smith

Record-Courier staff writer

The city of Ravenna has received a $100,000 Capital Improvement Legislative Grant for its Community Built Playground.

The city has until June 30, 2010 to complete the improvements, according to a letter from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Ravenna City Council’s Planning Committee is expected to meet Monday to discuss the grant and the master plan for Chestnut Hills Park.

Mayor Kevin Poland said he was incorrect when he described the funding as an “earmark,” stating that he spoke before he received the letter from the ODNR this week.

Lisa Wilson, grants coordinator for ODNR, stated in her letter to the mayor that the city must submit a project information package to ODNR, which will review the budget and determine if Ravenna is an eligible recipient. ODNR will then submit a request to the State Controlling Board for approval of the release of funds for the project.

Poland said that although the funds are specifically for improvements at the Chestnut Hills Community Built Playground, there are no matching funds required, and no restrictions on what kind of capital improvements need to be done. 

The money could be used on a pavilion or spray park, as members of the Friends of the Park have requested, or to expand parking at Chestnut Hills.

“We definitely need additional parking there,” he said. “That’s one of the reasons we’re so intent on making sure we have a master plan put together, so we have a comprehensive and planned development.”

He said the city has invested $200,000 of its own money into improvements at Chestnut Hills, in addition to money raised by the Friends of the Park.

Amy Michael, president of Friends of the Park, said she would like to see if council would be open to another fund-raising campaign for the spray park so the public would have ownership.

“If we could sell pieces of the water park, I think it would be great,” she said. “I think it would be a great move toward economic development.”

She said she has talked to a representative of the Middlefield Parks and Recreation Department, who said its spray park has benefited economic development there. 

“When she goes there, she does not see people she knows, because they’re all from Warren and the surrounding communities,” Michael said. “They’re going to Burger King and to Wal-Mart. These people from out of town are really helping their businesses.”

She said the park does need additional parking, but also needs a pavilion for shade and so families can have a place to eat. She said during a recent visit she saw a family huddled together eating lunch at the park, unable to find shade or a picnic table.

“I asked her if I could take a picture, so people could see the need that’s there,” Michael said.

 




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 3 Total Comments
3.
    Posted by ssocks41 July 12, 2009
100k isn't there other areas of Ravenna that could use that money? Is any of this going to create jobs?

2.
    Posted by user1 July 12, 2009
The last time they improved an area it was immediately vandalized.

1.
    Posted by rfowler July 12, 2009
I guess I have problems spending 100K for parks when so many vital services are vanishing because of lack of funds. That doesn't mean I'm "anti whatever" but we need to get our priorities straight.

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