Published: Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Soccer fields top list for park uses
Officials are determined not to use taxpayers' money for the project.
By AMANDA C. DAVIS
CANFIELD — The community knows what it wants when it comes to development of the township's first park.
A tentative map has been drawn up by the township's parkland committee, outlining the community's suggestions for use.
Dan Bienko, head of the committee, said soccer fields were at the top of the list and recreational buildings were at the bottom.
The 57-acre unnamed park is planned for township-owned land on both sides of Herbert Road near Old North Church. Bienko said that Old North has plans to build a youth center behind its existing facilities and that it's possible both projects "will be blended at the property lines," once site engineering for the park is complete.
The committee received more than 700 surveys from residents who wanted a say in how the park will be developed. Ideas include an amphitheater, lake, pavilions and basketball, volleyball and boccie courts.
Township Trustee J. Randy Brashen said the grant-writing team of Ross Professionals has been hired to secure money for development of the park.
Using bed-tax revenue
Township fiscal officer Carmen Heasley said part of the project will also be financed with bed-tax money from hotels.
"We're stuck on the fact that we're not going to use taxpayers' money to do anything with this land," she added.
Township Zoning Inspector Dave Morrison said bed-tax money comes from The Hampton Inn at Ironwood Commons.
He added that plans for a second hotel in the township are in the works, but didn't have information on a possible location or time line. Donations for advertising, fliers and postage have already been accepted for the park project, Brashen said, explaining trustee Vice Chairman William Reese gave $250 of his own money.
The Canfield Foundation, an organization to help steer Canfield into the future, has also made donations, he added.
Bienko, an architect, said he used his expertise in site development to help with the map, taking into consideration topography, flood control and water runoff.
Brashen said trustees are mulling 17 bids for engineering but hesitated to put a time line on groundbreaking.
Fire station proposal
Some park land will be set aside for future possibilities that include construction of a third fire station for the Canfield Joint Fire District.
Chief Bob Tieche has said a committee is going to study feasible locations for the station based on criteria from the Insurance Service Office.
The ISO rates fire departments based on response times, population and areas' frequency of calls.
Officials have said the township fire board will then make a decision on location, a process that could take one to three years.
Brashen and Heasley said they applaud the park committee for their talent and commitment to community.
"The park committee put in a lot of time and effort on this and [members] did a great job," Morrison said.
A contest will be put in place in the future to involve the public in naming the park, Heasley said.
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