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Village reapplies for park funds |
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Tuesday, 13 October 2009 |
By MATT NICHOLS
Staff Writer
Despite a rejection of a grant which would pay the majority of a proposed nature-themed park, village of Cridersville administrators say they hope to be in the driver’s seat to receive funds after re-submitting their grant application last week.
More than a week ago, Cridersville Village Council members learned their Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) grant application for the proposed Delong Pioneer Park was rejected, but Cridersville Mayor Lorali Myers said the unfortunate news has done little to shift the course.
“Even though we were not a recipient of the grant, ODNR did tell us to send in a notification if we wanted to submit for the same grant for next year, and we’ve already went ahead and done that,” Myers said.
The ODNR grant would fund up to 85 percent of the park which was unveiled during a council meeting in July. The 13-acre park will be located south of the new Cridersville Elementary School, sitting along the east side of Reichelderfer Road.
Initial plans of the park include the expansion of an existing wetland, and would follow a nature-like theme. Different types of plant and animal life are to be brought into the park — including different species of birds, fish, amphibians and wild flowers. Early plans show bird blinds and shelter houses dotting a landscape that is to include nearly no concrete, with the exception of a possible amphitheater.
Myers said the overabundance of interest in the grant put the village on the outside looking in.
“Unfortunately with the number of grants being applied for, ours didn’t make the first round,” Myers said. “Hopefully, next year we’ll be eligible. We’ve already re-applied and they’ve already reviewed it, so we’ll be ahead in the grant process for next year.”
The mayor said she hopes to find out more about the grant by spring, noting the plans to have the park seeded by the start of the 2010 school year.
Along with the ODNR grant, Myers said the village is also pursuing a Clean Ohio Conservation Fund grant for the park project.
“We are reaching out through any means that we can to find funding for this park,” Myers said.
Myers stressed a blade of grass will not be touched until village adminsitrators are positive the dollars are available to being the park’s first phase.
“We won’t move anything in this village until we know how the funding is,” Myers said. “We’re watching our budget.”
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 14 October 2009 )
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