Summary: With the moving of the first ceremonial shovel of dirt, construction is underway on Woosters newest park – Oak Hill Park.
This is just a thrilling day.
Thats how David Noble, President of the Donald and Alice Noble Foundation described May 5, 2011 – the day of the official groundbreaking ceremonies for Oak Hill Park.
Noble recounted how the project began years ago when he was offered the opportunity to exercise an option to purchase 100 acres of pristine property near the Nazarene Church on Oak Hill Road and save it from future development.
I though one day the City of Wooster would love to have a park on this land and low and behold its turning out to be true, said Noble.
Its been a long process but the culmination of this process is just thrilling to me. I want to thank all of you that have been involved in making this dream come true, said Noble.
Wooster Mayor Bob Breneman looked back to December of 2006 when he was serving on City Council and Noble formally approached the city with an event that could change this city for the future.
According to Breneman when Noble presented a vision for a non-traditional park, the foundation placed a number of conditions on the use of the property, first of foremost of which was that it be available to all.
The vision for the property was a forest for all seasons containing only a bike/walking path, restrooms and a single picnic pavilion.
According to Wayne County Community Foundation Executive Director Ferenc Relle, using an Ohio Public Works Commission Clean Ohio grant, the land was acquired by the city and the Noble Foundation donated the receipts of that acquisition to the Wayne County Community Foundation to establish a fund designated solely for the design, construction and maintenance of the park.
Breneman noted that with now retired Parks and Recreation Manager Chuck Malta leading the charge and Public Properties Assistant Manager Daryl Decker tasked with transforming the concept into a reality, landscape architects from CDP Engineers set to work on a master plan for the park which City Engineer Joel Montgomery put into final form.
The result will be a park with over 1.7 miles of paved paths for walking, jogging or biking as well as natural plantings designed for year-round color.
With a donation by Joan and Gene Buehler, the park will also include a quarter-mile level trail near the pavilion geared for people who may not have the time or ability to use the longer and hillier terrain, said Relle adding this level path will help handicapped individuals safely use wheelchairs and walkers to enjoy the surrounding flora.
In addition to the gift by the Buehler family, the Wooster Rotary Club donated $50,000 for the design and construction of a 30 X 60 foot pavilion near the parks entrance.
In addition to community gatherings, the pavilion will be used as an education center for seminars, displays and demonstrations of the use of pollinator planting, rain gardens and eco-friendly projects that can be duplicated in a home and yard setting according to Relle.
It will be here for our children and their children and hopefully for generations to come, said Rotary President Tim Swift of the pavilion adding we thank you for allowing us be a part of the history we are creating here today.
Taking into account the Clean Ohio grant and generous gifts by the Noble Foundation, the Buehler family, the Rotary Club and other private donations Malta noted that Oak Hill Park is an over $2 million project with a $100,000 city investment.
According to Breneman, construction on the park is expected to be completed in about three months.
