Grants help with park improvements

by Sue Serdinak

Aug. 26 RJRD meeting

Before the regular meeting of the Richfield Joint Recreation District, fund raising/grant writing committee Chairperson Mike Selig outlined several ways to raise money for Richfield Heritage Preserve.

The committee was awarded a $60,000 Nature Works grant earlier this year to replace the pedestrian bridge over the upper lake, Lake Linnea, spillway. The grant requires the park to contribute $20,000 or in-kind labor. Selig showed one possible design for the bridge and asked park director John Piepsny to research companies to build the bridge.

Selig reported that the $150,000 state capital grant the district was awarded this year must be used to update the Broadview Road entrance and improve the Buckeye Trail, which runs alongside the entrance road.

He said the committee is also investigating a possible unpaved connection between the park and Richfield Woods Park and how to cover the cost of such a project. Only a few private properties separate the two parks.

Selig said he is looking into grants that could be used to eliminate erosion of High Lea Creek, help cover the cost of removing a bridge to improve stream quality, update the boathouse on Lake Linnea and re-naturalize the area of a former swimming pool.

Selig said there was talk for several years about the former swimming pool being a safety hazard, even though it is fenced in. He said a former board member had suggested a vernal pool could be created.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources said there are no available grants for the project. Selig said the Ohio Operating Engineers might be approached to help with puncturing the bottom of the pool and filling it with hardscape.

RJRD board Chairperson Anita Gantner reminded the board the pool house has utilities and asked if there might be another use for the building.

Selig responded that the building would require considerable work to be functional.

Student workers

Piepsny said he has been in contact with a representative of the industrial arts program at Cuyahoga Valley Career Center regarding a collaboration with the park. The school would bring 24 students for two hours every school day to practice construction skills.

Piepsny said an instructor would be with the students the entire time and parents could sign waivers. Piepsny suggested students could work on several projects at North House, and they could help install drywall at Oviatt House.

“It would be a lot of hands-on to help us with many of these structures,” he said.

He said students could also repair lawn equipment and golf carts as part of the school’s automotive program.

Piepsny provided the board with a proposed agreement, requiring waivers signed by the students and parents.

District Treasurer Dave Wehner advised that a separate agreement would be necessary for the students to work on the Oviatt House because the Oviatt group has a lease with the park district.

Amity House

Piepsny said a six-month temporary occupancy permit has been acquired for Amity House, excluding overnights. He reminded board member Mike Lyons, chair of the governance committee, that he recommended the district pay Shari Green 10% commission on Amity House rental fees when rented at the same time as the Lodge.

“She’s an important component of renting the building,” Piepsny said. “It doesn’t make sense that she would be showing the Lodge and then have to wait for someone to come and show Amity House.”

Lyons said the committee had to cancel its meeting because a member was out of town, and if the board approves paying a commission, it could be retroactive.

According to Green’s report, she has booked three rentals for Amity House – with revenue of over $1,000 – in association with renting the Lodge for three weddings and five social events in August.

Friends of Richfield Heritage Preserve President Corey Ringle reported that the group engaged MEP Contractors to assist with applying for the temporary occupancy permit for the building.

The Friends donated $3,950 toward the cost of installing whole-house air conditioning. Piepsny said a raffle generated $2,050 toward the cost.

Garfield Hall

Ringle reported the Friends have continued to do extensive stabilization and restoration work on Garfield Hall.

“We are at our 90 days we were given three months ago [to stabilize the building] and hope we can continue our efforts,” Ringle said.

The group of volunteers brought in 200 bags of concrete and built a 65-foot retaining wall on one side of the building.

They installed maple flooring, which Ohio Hardwood Furniture helped to procure. The volunteers repaired the chimney and obtained someone to re-roof the building this fall.

Kirby Mill

The Friends were not awarded a $150,000 Save America’s Treasures grant that was earmarked to replace the pedestrian bridge to the Kirby Mill house. However, the group has funds to continue restoration work on the mill house.

Volunteers

Volunteer coordinator Susan Czaplicki reported that several individuals volunteered in the park, as well as staff from Sequoia Financial and Burns & McDonnell, an engineering, architecture and construction company.

RHP bluebird team makes a difference

The Bluebird Trail team at the Richfield Heritage Preserve had a successful season in 2024. Under the direction of coordinator Claudia Souders, they began as a team of 14 volunteers in March and April and trudged in the mud to the 17 nest boxes to make sure they were clean and in good condition for the nesting season.

The birds began nesting soon after that, and 36 nesting attempts with 117 eggs and several fledglings were observed. The boxes hosted Eastern Bluebirds, Tree Swallows and House Wrens.

The park’s data was shared with NestWatch, a nationwide nest-monitoring program designed to track the health and reproductive biology of native birds.  Trends are noted, and conservation efforts can be formulated if necessary.

The volunteers were enthusiastic about their experience and the success of the nesting program. Most plan to return next year.

For more information about the park’s Bluebird monitor program, contact volunteer-info@rjrd.org. ∞

Photo (main/above): Nature Works has awarded the RJRD funds to be used to replace the bridge over the Lake Linnea spillway. Photo by M. Parker.

The pedestrian bridge over the Lake Linnea spillway, with a metal grate walking surface, will be replaced by a more user-friendly bridge. The new bridge may remain inaccessible to wheelchairs because of steps to the bridge. Photo by M. Parker. 

The Bluebird Trail team observed 117 eggs in nests in the bluebird boxes that they cleaned out in the spring. Photo from RJRD.

Beavers in the Richfield Heritage Preserve have built two dams in the park, which continue to be a problem for water management. Photo by S. Serdinak.