By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
The Wood County Park District Board got a first look at projects planned for next year – from parking lots and playgrounds, to orchard trees and fencing for goats.
Neil Munger, director of the park district, stressed Tuesday that the numbers attached to each project are very preliminary. But the draft budget gave an idea of the planned improvements to the parks in 2018.
The biggest project will be turning a house at Sawyer Quarry Preserve, in Perrysburg Township, into an interpretive center. Those renovations are expected to cost about $350,000. Trail construction is also planned at that park.
“There are not a lot of huge projects this year,” Munger said.
Following is a list of proposed projects at each of the county parks:
- Buttonwood Recreation Area – parking lot repairs.
- Cedar Creeks Preserve – parking lot sealcoat and painting of restrooms.
- William Henry Harrison Park – new playground equipment, with an estimated price of $50,000. The district will seek grants for this project.
- W. Knight Preserve – nature center deck repairs, window replacement.
- Otsego Park – parking lot sealcoat, and playground equipment also estimated at $50,000. Grants will be sought for the equipment.
- Wood County Historical Center – shelter repairs estimated at $8,000.
- Zimmerman School – brick repairs to cost about $9,500, plus a new entrance ramp and entrance door replacement.
- Slippery Elm Trail – paint bollard posts, and make repairs to pole barn in Rudolph Savanna area.
- Baldwin Woods – bridge and parking lot construction, estimated at $125,000.
- Carter Historic Farm – barn roof beam repair, stone path to school, pasture fencing for goats and chickens, orchard trees and parking lot repairs.
- Bradner Preserve – deck and patio construction, picnic tables and grill.
- Beaver Creek Preserve – building furnishings.
- Reuthinger Memorial Preserve – miscellaneous.
- Fuller Preserve – miscellaneous.
- Sawyer Quarry Preserve – interpretive center renovations and trail construction.
The park district board will get more information on the capital improvement projects at the next meeting in November, then will approve the budget in December, Munger said.
Also at Tuesday’s meeting, the board agreed to spend about $18,500 to retile 18 acres at the Carter Historic Farm. The park district rents out 55 acres for farming at the site. The oldest clay tiles are failing in 18 acres of the farm. Munger informed the board that as the landowner, the park district is responsible for putting in the tile that allows for drainage.
The rent paid to the park district for farming the 55 acres is about $9,000 a year – half of the price to retile a portion.
“It’s one of those things you just have to do,” Munger said. “If we don’t tile the field, I think we’re going to have issues getting anyone to farm it.”
