Peoria Standard

City of Lebanon Parks and Recreation Board met Jan. 5.

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

Opening:

A meeting of the Lebanon Parks and Recreation Board was held at 7:00 p.m. on 1-5-2022 at City Building. The meeting was called to order by Jeff Napier.

In Attendance: Jeff Napier, Janie Bicknell, Jane Davis, Howard Harris, Barb Leitschuh, Lindsay Mescher, Shawn Ford, and Casey Burdick

A. Approval of December Minutes:

Park Board: Motion to approve by Howard Harris, seconded by Lindsay Mescher, approved by the board.

B. Agenda:

1. 2022 Park Programming and Events

Casey provided a draft list of upcoming events. The calendar is filling up nicely through the year with events for both kids and adults. Miller Park events are scheduled through June. Events are also being scheduled Bicentennial Park as well. Casey is also working on a few spring volunteer events in the parks. Official flyers will be shared as soon as the schedules are finalized.

2. Miller Park- Restrooms Matching Donation Opportunity

Casey received word on December 21st from Warren Co Foundation that the $50,000 matching donations have been raised and they received the $50,000 promised donation. They have also received verbal confirmation of that additional funds are still coming in. They anticipate that final total amount raised for the project will be $120,000.

Elevar, the architectural firm hired by the City to design the new Welcome Center, provided a cost estimate of $275,000 for materials and construction of the facility. The restrooms constructed with the necessary heating to ensure the restrooms would be open year around. Last night, Council voted to approve $150,000 in ARPA (COVID) Funds to cover the remaining cost of the project.

The next step is to get the official construction plans from the architects, then bid out the project for construction in 2022.

Casey was also contacted by Main Street Lebanon today, and their board has selected Miller Ecological Park for their fund raising efforts at the March Girls Night Out on March 12th. More information will be shared as it comes.

3. Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest’s final balance was $16,371.87. We are donating $13,371.87 to the Miller Ecological Park Trust and retained $3000 for 2022 start up costs.

Planning has already began for 2022. If anyone knows someone who would like to chair the Kids Zone area, please let Casey know. Barb mentioned that the Library should have a Safety Town that could be set up at the event.

4. Grant Projects

Parkside Grant – Clean Ohio NRAC grant. The grant was approved. $2.3 million for purchase for the land and building a trail. This project will be a key link for connecting our existing trail system to Armco Park/Union Village area.

The Parkside Developer applied for rezoning in November. It was passed by the Zoning Board, now they will go to Council for approval in January. The Developer have until March to finalize the agreements, plans, and purchase the property. If all that goes forward as planned, the City will close on the park portion of the property in Spring 2022 and construction in late summer/fall of 2022. The City has budgeted money for trail/parking lot engineering in January.

Bike Trail Updates:

Lebanon-Countryside YMCA Phase 2: The trail is estimated to start construction in May 2022 with an estimated completion date of November 2022. The project is being administered by ODOT. Casey noted that the bridge on Turtlecreek Union Rd will be closed for most of the year, which will make access to the Bike Park somewhat difficult for 2022. The Bike Park Stewards are going to need to work to educate the public that the park is still open.

-Clean Ohio Trails Fund- Northern Bike Trail Extension: The project is nearly complete except approximately 300 feet along the new Fire Station.

-Premier Health Bike Park Mtn Bike Trails: Casey talked to Chad Irey from Dirt Artisans and he expected to start surveying and laying out the new trail system as early as this week. We hope to have this project completed by the end of May.

5. Harmon Playground

Council is reviewing the proposal to hire Landscape Structures, Penchura, and ForeverLawn of Ohio for the purchase of the new playground equipment, removal of the existing equipment and installation of the new, and installation of artificial turf. The total cost of the project is projected to be $311,071, this price includes both the We-Saw and the We-Go-Round. The City did receive $63,094 NatureWorks Grant and $50,000 commitment from the Harmon Civic Trust. The remaining funds would come from the General Fund Parks Improvement Line and $150,000 in ARPA funds. Once approved, the project will go to contract for completion in 2022.

6. Safe Routes To School

The City has hired Kleingers to facilitate the SRTS School Travel Plan and apply for a SRTS grant application. SRTS is a federal program, administered in Ohio through ODOT, that works to encourage and enable students in grades K-8 to ride their bikes or walk to school. This can be done through both infrastructure improvements and non-infrastructure programs. The City had a meeting with Lebanon Schools and St. Francis DeSales to gauge their interest in participating in the program and to get them started on the necessary survey work of parents and students. The schools are fully on board and excited about the project. A STP team has been formed to review the feedback from parent and student surveys as well as do a walk audit of areas of concern. The team is made up of the following representatives: School, Community, Local Government, Health, Education, and Public Safety. KC Stallings and Scott Nash have been asked to serve on this committee. December 16th, there was a overview meeting and walk audit done surround the release from all four schools. A final report is being generated with that information and information from the Parent and Student surveys. That report is to be completed in mid January. An open house will be scheduled after that report is completed for public comment.

The ultimate goal of this project is to move the dedicated bike lane on N. Broadway off the road to a widened sidewalk, similar to what was done on Deerfield Road in front of the Countryside subdivision. This project would be done in conjunction with the replacement of a water main on N. Broadway and street repaving project scheduled for 2024 and 2025.

7. Future Park Amenities and Program Planning

Casey asked the board to start considering future park amenities, both from the standpoint of maintaining/replacing our existing features and adding new. The Park Master Planned outlined improvements in the following order:

1.) Implementing the LTTI Plan for a bicycle trail network (In progress)

2.) Maintaining and improving what we currently have and being thoughtful about any additions

3.) Miller Park Restrooms (possibility in 2022)

4.) Updating the Harmon playground (coming in 2022)

5.) Paving and expanding parking at the Sports Complex (Good progress in 2021)

6.) Downtown Restrooms (coming in 2022)

7.) Splash Pad

8.) Festival Staging/ Amphitheater at Colonial Park West

This doesn’t mention the Skatepark because it brough up until the PMP was nearly completed.

Whenever we are adding new features, the Park Board and the City need to consider not just the cost of construction, but the long term added cost of maintenance and staffing needed to maintain the amenity.

New ideas for amenities brainstormed by the group include: an RC course, an RC sailing course on the fishing pond, and bouldering course. Ideas for existing amenities that need to be addressed or improved include: upgrades to Bicentennial Park, French Run Trail, Pleasant Park, and Restroom updates. An idea for additional programming was offering Historical Walks.

https://cms8.revize.com/revize/lebanonoh/Park%20and%20Rec%20Board%20Meeting%20Agendas%20and%20Minutes/2022/1-5-2022%20Park%20Board%20Meeting%20Minutes.pdf