ASHLAND — Ashland County Park District regulars can expect to see some amenities popping up this year. Also, people new to the parks will soon be able to learn more about the district’s offerings through a new website.
The park district is working its way through some improvements made possible by a levy approved by voters in 2016. Improvements started with the completion of the paved loop trail at Freer Field, the county’s most popular park.
Late last month, a vault restroom was installed at Pine Hill Sauers Farm, a park located in the northwest corner of Ashland County on Township Road 1601 near U.S. 224. The restroom will be used for the numerous weddings and events at the park. It’s also open for other park visitors, according to Stephanie Wollmann, named park district director earlier this year.
Next up, park district officials are planning to add a picnic pavilion, a playground and a vault restroom at Byers Woods on County Road 1754. The 130-acre park’s trails, wildlife and proximity to Ashland make it a destination for hiking, birding and fishing, and park district officials hope the new amenities will attract more people.
The restroom for Byers has already been approved by the park district’s board of commissioners and will be installed this season, Wollmann said.
Plans for a 12-foot by 20-foot picnic pavilion at Byers were tabled at a recent meeting because commissioner David McClure is working to secure sponsorships to help fund pavilions for Byers and other parks.
Park officials are also planning to add a playground to Byers this season. Commissioners reviewed a preliminary design for a custom, 35-foot by 40-foot playground. They requested a few changes to the nature-themed design and expect to approve playground plans later this spring.
The playground, pavilion and restroom all are expected to be located near the park’s entrance, to the left of the parking lot.
Wollmann said the park district also has plans to add a vault restroom at Freer Field, but that plan is contingent on approval from the Environmental Protection Agency, which may require a restroom at the site to tie into the existing city utilities. Wollmann said a restroom tied into the city sewer system would cost twice as much and may be more difficult to maintain as it could be more prone to vandalism.
The park district has been in operation since 2002. It was run by volunteers and funded through private donations and grants until the levy passed in 2016. The levy is expected to generate more than $2.6 million over five years.
The district now has three people on staff — a director, a maintenance supervisor and a part-time office manager. Park district commissioners also hired a consultant from the Medina County Park District.
Park district officials plan to use 61 percent of the levy funds for park improvements, 19 percent for staff, 4 percent for equipment and the remaining 16 percent for other expenses.
Among those other expenses is the cost of a new website for the park district, which will launch soon with more pictures and more information about each of the district’s 17 parks. The new website can be found at the same address as the old site, www.ashlandcountyparks.com, and is expected to go live the second week of April.
