Officials at the Union County Health Department are working to share their enthusiasm for the outdoor recreational opportunities in the area.
Tamisha Matus, Creating Healthy Communities coordinator at UCHD, shared the new Union County Great Outdoors Map with Board of Health members.
“This is a foundation for us moving forward,” Matus said.
The brochure-style map details parks, attractions, covered bridges, golf courses, agri-tourism, trails and “water adventures” available throughout the county.
Matus said her hope is that the map will be shared widely with community members. From that point, programming will be created that features the amenities highlighted in the map.
The Union County Parks and Trails working group is working on a “passport” to explore the parks, Matus said, with a goal of launching it “mid-year.”
The working group meets every other month to work toward goals based on the 2014 Union County Trail and Greenway Master Plan.
Along with encouraging residents to stay active, Matus said the group hopes to increase connectivity throughout Union County and between neighboring areas.
“We no longer want to be that island we’ve been as Union County in Central Ohio,” she said.
She added that the health department has “been working for several years” with officials from Union County-Marysville Economic Development to create the Great Outdoors Map.
The map is divided into four subsections: Marysville, Richwood, Plain City and Jerome Township.
While Marysville features the largest number of parks and attractions listed on the map, Matus said other municipalities are working to expand their outdoor amenities.
For instance, she said officials at Jerome Township approached her for assistance seeking funding to expand trails and improve parks in the area.
While Harry Wolfe Park is smaller than some parks in the county, Matus said Jerome Township officials see it as a starting point for recreational improvements. She said they would like to follow in the footsteps of Richwood, which effectively garnered funding to improve and expand amenities at Richwood Lake Park.
“They can see that vision for Jerome through Richwood,” Matus said.
She said Jerome Township staff members are already seeking input from their residents surrounding the expansion of parks and trails.
Likewise, Matus said officials in communities throughout Union County desire to increase outdoor amenities and are actively seeking funding to do so.
She noted that the Central Ohio Rural Planning Organization (CORPO) has recommended $47,500 be awarded to the Village of Richwood to construct a multi-use path on Route 47.
Matus said the project highlights the importance of connectivity.
There are currently no sidewalks from downtown Richwood to dollar stores in the area, which Matus said are the primary source of fresh food for residents in the area. For that reason, people often walk on the roadway of Route 47.
The multi-use path would not only allow people to stay active, but ensure they can safely access healthier food options.
She said the project also underlines the value officials throughout Central Ohio have placed on accessibility to parks and trails.
Eight entities applied for CORPO funding, Matus said. She said the Village of Richwood was on the “bottom tier.”
However, she said five of the communities or entities who were recommended for funding – the Fairfield County Engineer’s Office, Morrow County Commissioners, MetroParks, City of Lancaster and City of Mount Vernon – indicated they would decrease their funding request to allow for Richwood to receive funding.
Matus said she became emotional when she learned of their generosity.
“I’m literally sitting in the library with tears because it’s so needed,” she said of the path.
The recommendations for funding will be finalized following a public comment period which ends on March 14.
The Union County Great Outdoors Map is available online at www.letsrolluc.org/parks. Matus said she hopes to distribute physical copies in as many shops in Uptown Marysville as possible.
In other business:
– Director of Health Promotion and Planning Shawn Sech shared an update surrounding COVID numbers in Union County.
She noted that cases “basically skyrocketed” in January, with 3,279 recorded that month. From December to January, she said there was a 116% increase in cases.
Sech said the number of cases and hospitalizations in Union County were the highest in January 2022 that they have been since the start of the pandemic.
During the January surge, Sech said approximately one in four patients hospitalized in central Ohio were admitted for COVID-related illnesses.
Sech said the outlook is improving.
“It’s continuing to drop… (a) steady decline very, very quickly,” she said.