Jerome Township officials are applying for grants to expand the area’s trails. The green areas represent existing parks in the township, while purple areas are residential developments. The red lines depict proposed trails that would increase connectivity between neighborhoods. (Graphic submitted)
Jerome Township officials are taking steps to expand the area’s trail system.
During the most recent trustees meeting, the board unanimously approved a motion to apply for grants and gather public opinion regarding the expansion of trails in Jerome Township.
Administrative Assistant Sydney Herbert said the pond at Harry Wolfe Park will act as the “hub” of connectivity throughout the township.
The township is also home to Ryan Memorial Park and the park behind the fire station, along with Glacier Ridge Metro Park. Herbert said 10 residential developments are within distance of connecting to all three township parks.
She referenced a drawing from Gary Smith of G2 Planning, created while he served as the township’s zoning inspector, that maps the creation of a paved trail around the pond.
Herbert said township officials would also like to add another pier and shelter house to the park, along with a new playground.
A paved trail will be more accessible to those who use wheelchairs or strollers than the current gravel path, Herbert noted.
The trail also will have a connection to the Pioneer Crossing development from the west side of the pond.
She added that renovations to the trail system will act as a “starting point for community involvement.”
Herbert envisioned Harry Wolfe park hosting community-wide programs such as a fall festival, food truck event and youth fishing tournament.
Based on recent measurements, Herbert said the perimeter of the pond is approximately 2,100 feet.
She said Director of Departments Douglas Stewart received an estimate of $46 per foot for an 8-foot wide paved path.
Herbert estimated that the trail itself will cost approximately $100,000. With the additional amenities, she said the project will likely total around $350,000.
She emphasized that the goal is to fund the project as completely as possible through grant dollars.
The trail at Richwood Lake was created “almost completely” with grant funding, Herbert said, adding that she feels it is attainable for the township as well.
Herbert said she has already researched six grants, ranging from $10,000 to $500,000 in value. They include the Clean Ohio Fund, Green Space Conservation Program, The Recreational Trails Program, Clean Ohio Trails Fund, Land and Water Conservation Fund and T-Mobile Hometown Grant.
She said the township is working closely with the Union County Health Department and the Union County Trail and Greenway Working Group.
The ultimate goal, she said, is to connect the township’s trails with Union County’s vision for connectivity throughout the entire township.
Trustee Chair Megan Sloat said she feels trail development is a “wonderful” project to undertake.
“It’s a project that’s so important to so many people,” she said.
Sloat asked that Herbert develop a more detailed step-by-step action plan while she is applying for grant funding.
Trustee C.J. Lovejoy said he is looking forward to the outcome.
“This is long overdue,” he said.
In other business:
– Trustees unanimously approved the final development plan for a new neighborhood in Jerome Village on Tuesday.
The Stillwell at Jerome Village, which is also known as village neighborhood section 8 (VN-8), will have 230 single-family and two-family homes.
The 23.08-acre site is located on the east side of U.S. 42, north of Ravenhill Parkway and west of Hyland-Croy Road.
The land does not abut any existing dwellings and abuts only property that is currently controlled by Jerome Village, Zoning Inspector Eric Snowden said.
The site is bordered to the south by an area designated at VN-1 on the Jerome Village Land Use Plan, which permits all types of residential dwellings. A site designated for commercial and office uses is to the west, while a subarea for “town/village center uses,” which includes commercial and residential uses, is to the east.
As a neighborhood within the larger Jerome Village development, Snowden noted that the development plan is within an already-approved Planned Development District.
The owner and developer are required to provide at least 40% open space across the entire Planned Development District. Individual neighborhoods in Jerome Village may have more or less, as long as the overall mark is met.
Snowden said the green spaces within the Stillwell at Jerome Village “are appropriately sized for passive or active recreation use within this development.”
A multi-use trail will be constructed along Ewing Road and will connect with the existing trail system of Jerome Village and other regional park and trail systems.
During the public hearing Tuesday, civil engineers for the development noted that the trail will be constructed on the side of Ewing Road opposite of the neighborhood due to the grading of ponds in the area.
A connection to the trail will be made across Ewing Road, though the exact location is yet to be determined.
– The board decided to pursue website development through software development company Granicus, without an upgraded package.
The upgrade requires a three-year commitment and costs $7,500 annually. Trustees agreed with Sloat, who said it is “way too much of a financial hit on top of the money we’re investing to develop the website.”
– Trustees accepted the resignation of Administrative and Zoning Clerk Taylor Hoover, who was hired by the township in June.