City leaders eye Mel Harder Park upgrades

These changes are part of the city’s Conceptual Master Plan, prepared in 2010.

Chardon officials are seeking to get the ball rolling on funding for improvements to Mel Harder Park.

City Council’s Dec. 14 agenda includes a request to submit an application for funding in the state capital budget for fiscal year 2019-20. The fiscal year begins in July 2018 and deadline to apply is Jan. 3.

City Manager Randy Sharpe recommends submitting an application for the engineering and construction of Mel Harder Park Phase 2.

Proposed improvements include the addition of a walking/hiking trail, driveway extension, parking expansion, multipurpose field and landscaping of the south side of the property (about 6 acres). These changes are part of the city’s Conceptual Master Plan, prepared in 2010.

This project is the top priority for capital improvements as determined by the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board in 2017, and is included in the 2018-22 Capital Improvement Plan, Sharpe said in a memo to council.

The engineer’s estimate as of August 2016 for total project cost was $435,800.

The latest Capital Improvement Plan, which accounts for inflation, lists the price at $530,000.

It is anticipated that the application request will be for a 75 percent grant with a 25 percent local match.

The city also will pursue potential funding through the Ohio Division of Natural Resources Outdoor Recreation Facility Grants.

Mayor Nancy McArthur said she learned of the funding availability after a visit from state Sen. Sean O’Brien, D-Bazetta, whose district includes part of Geauga County.

“Any dollars we can get to help with some of these improvements would be fantastic,” she said. “Without it, we may not be able to do it as quickly.”

Improving the back half of the park property was favored by residents in the city’s recent National Citizen Survey.

The more than 500 respondents were asked to rank priorities, including the park project. Eighty percent ranked it as somewhat important to very important or essential.

“The need is evident as the 2-year-old spring and fall soccer program(s) have about 140 participants each,” Sharpe said.

The long-term goal is to work with the Geauga Park District to construct a trail from Mel Harder to the Mountain Run Station Trail, which connects to the Maple Highlands Trail and Michael Ibold Park.

In 2011, the city paid to have a new parking lot built at the park, in part, because of concerns about the safety of park users who parked off property during peak times and had to cross Chardon Windsor Road.

The 12-acre park, 12519 Chardon Windsor Road, was built in 1998. It currently provides baseball fields, a playground, gazebo, picnic tables and grills.

“We don’t have a lot of parks; we have the Square and we have Mel Harder,” McArthur said.

“We could really use some more space.”