Residents concerned about parks' plan

MAC CORDELL
Press Staff Writer
Published September 19, 2003 12:10 PM CDT

Bicycle enthusiasts in Madison County may soon have another recreational opportunity, but not everyone is excited about the potential path.

The Columbus Metro Parks has proposed a bike path that would connect the Battelle-Darby Metro Park to the Prairie Oaks Metro Park. The exact location of the six-mile path still is unclear. The majority of the path would run along the western border of farmland owned by Battelle Memorial Institute.

However, local officials and adjoining landowners still have questions they would like to have answered before Metro Parks begins the project.

"Up until a few days ago, we just didn't know much about it," said Rudy Denes, Jefferson Township Trustee.

Since the path will run through Jefferson Township, the trustees invited Metro Parks Director John O'Meara to attend their Wednesday night meeting.

"I think we came out of the meeting feeling like there were a whole lot of issues that would need to be resolved before this path would come to fruition," Denes said.

O'Meara agreed that there still were issues to be resolved. He said the idea of connecting the two parks has been under discussion for several years.

He said the trail will be about 12 feet wide and the easement will need to be about 25 feet wide. No vehicles, except for emergency service vehicles, will be allowed onto the path. Off-road vehicles also will be prohibited. The trail will be patrolled daily by park rangers, who have full law enforcement authority.

O'Meara said there is some concern that the proposed trail would cross state Route 142 twice, but it may need to do to keep it far enough away from Battelle.

"Obviously, this is not the situation we would have hoped for, but we are working with Battelle and we needed to keep the path as far away from the research facility as possible," O'Meara said.

He said that while the path does cross the road twice, it is ultimately a better situation for bikers than riding on the road.

"Hopefully, this is going to help with some safety concerns," O'Meara said. "There really are a lot of bikes on the road and hopefully we can get them off the roadways and onto an off-road trail."

In addition to the safety improvements, O'Meara said he believes the trail will offer other advantages.

"This is really an asset to the community," O'Meara said. "The trails are very popular. They are very appreciated. They are a quality-of-life feature for the community. This is where kids learn to ride their bikes, where people can walk or run, parents can walk with their kids, parents can push strollers, people can walk their dogs, families can do things together. This is a safe, clean recreational opportunity for residents and will make the area a better place to work, live and raise a family."

O'Meara said one plan would add a spur to West Jefferson to allow residents to access the trail from inside the village.

While O'Meara is certain the trail will be a positive addition to the area, landowners are not as sure about the plan.

One man who questions the need is Cal Richeson. The proposed bike trail would run through several acres owned by his in-laws.

"They have got 20,000 acres of parkland now," he said. "Why do they want our land, too? Besides, look at the bike paths they have now. They are getting little use."

Richeson said the primary concern of the landowners is that land will be taken by eminent domain.

"First of all, we are already using that land," Richeson said. "We don't want them to take our land. It is our land. It is not as though they are short on land. A whole lot of it, they don't even have the people to mow. I think the least they can do is use what they already have before they want more."

O'Meara claimed it is not the intention of Metro Parks to take any land by eminent domain.

"We will not be using eminent domain," O'Meara said. "I can assure you of that. We are hoping the landowners will work with us. Really, we are only talking about two landowners. Worst case scenario, we will run the trail on the road for a little bit. We do not want to do that, but we will not be taking land by eminent domain."

Denes said the trustees do not have a problem with the bike path in general if it is done properly. They also understand the concern of the landowners.

"I think the concern from most of the people is that it is going to abut private land," Denes said. "Even though it does run around the perimeter of Battelle, it provides access to private land.

"We do feel the park system is beneficial to the public, but we think this needs to be handled with the greatest regard for the adjoining landowners. It has to be done in a proper manner. It has to be done in a safe manner and it has to be done in a manner that satisfies the adjoining landowners."

No timeline was given for the completion of the bike path.

Metro Parks was established on April 14, 1945. It manages and operates 14 parks, consisting of more than 20,000 acres throughout seven central Ohio counties.

Metro Parks is a separate political subdivision of the state of Ohio and is governed by a three-member Board of Park Commissioners. Board members are appointed by Judge of the Franklin County Probate Court and serve three-year terms. Kenneth F. Danter, Robert H. Jeffrey and Ellen L. Tripp are the current board members.

The parks are supported by a 10-year, 0.65-mill property tax levy approved by the voters of Franklin County in 1999.

Metro Parks also receives additional funding from the state's Local Government Fund and Local Government Revenue Assistance Fund as well as grants, donations and earned income.

Board meetings are held monthly and are open to the public. For dates and times, call (614) 891-0700.

Mac Cordell can be reached at (740) 852-1616, 1-800-282-3838, ext. 16, or by
e-mail at news2@madison-press.com