[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6117323,"mediaKeyId","2730544-cfbc473a724cad266ff9481f43f3954a","parentId",2730544,"title","Mountain bike trail opening set for June 6; staff address multi-use congestion and park improvements","audioSeconds",502,"startMs",1946000,"endMs",2448000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2730544-cfbc473a724cad266ff9481f43f3954a&start=1946&end=2448","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2730544-cfbc473a724cad266ff9481f43f3954a/thumbnail_1946000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6117323/Gahanna/Franklin-County/Ohio/Mountain-bike-trail-opening-set-for-June-6-staff-address-multi-use-congestion-and-park-improvements","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6117323-6923841e770918e38d986d79038fb168/orig.mp4?Expires=1771204200&Signature=U~V-4YnmENKKbd9-uEZOXugOpUC1M4r3k-4zkJdhH5-SmU97bNB0js1C4Vmbm2mnOeA-wJ5fmL7r1Eig8jwsn-TK-i1k9A8JO~JA9bjhaaExewcnwSXY2WcO~~oJdyYN4pJlKH4B8uPqs3jhwoiXI85yEj5jUAl7LfVEnlCT~xLF1CcnYTK324P4uK4jAhZNwGAx9y6JgB8nrGhhVyd71087N9BRn38ADpsu~36RpYv6A-bWDbsdXzMLF6GW86czvQOxjYgAgCDFxNhm9ps5myQbAOnF~J87PnaNmoJC37FoXDhcRF6sDSAsY8PYjKTmCeBY~ytPrORc9AuzxuLRhg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Gahanna OH","date","2025-03-20T11:53:03Z","article","Parks staff announced the mountain bike trail grand opening is scheduled for Friday, June 6 at 4 p.m. and described concurrent improvements to Academy Park intended to address user flow and safety where the trail passes between athletic diamonds.

During public discussion, a board member who had ridden the trail expressed concern about congestion and potential conflicts between cyclists and youth baseball practices on game days. The board member recommended considering signage asking cyclists to dismount in the section that runs between the parking lot and the south edge of the trail where families gather for baseball and softball.

Staff said parking, shelter-house improvements and playground upgrades at Academy Park are included in the project scope and that design work has incorporated multiuser flow to reduce conflict points. Staff noted the project benefited from support from the mayor and city council for related improvements and said the trail design was intended to direct cyclists away from diamond-adjacent paths except when users intend to access fields.

Separately, a committee report noted the regional planning commission distributed more than $52,000,000 in federal funding for infrastructure projects in central Ohio; of that amount, $4,730,000 was identified for the Big 1a trail between Cherry Bottom and Morris Road (the transcript named the distributing body as the regional planning commission and provided those dollar figures in the report).

Board members asked staff for a formal concept-plan presentation for Academy Park; staff said design components remain under resolution and that staff will bring the full concept plan to the board when ready.

Staff also described operational steps to improve wayfinding and signage and said they were exploring volunteer roles such as trail stewards to support trail maintenance and user education.

No formal votes or policy changes on the trail or Academy Park concept were recorded in the transcript; the meeting recorded only the announced grand opening date and discussion of design and signage.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Parks and Recreation Board - March 19, 2025 - Livestream","oneSentenceSummary","The Parks & Recreation Board confirmed plans for a June 6 mountain bike trail grand opening and discussed design and operational changes at Academy Park intended to reduce conflicts between trail users and youth baseball activities.","taxTitle","Gahanna, Franklin County, Ohio","taxId",55589,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6117326,"Parks staff outline 2024 wrap-up and 2025 plans for Paddle Gahanna, market and volunteer expansion",787,479000,1266000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2730544-cfbc473a724cad266ff9481f43f3954a&start=479&end=1266","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2730544-cfbc473a724cad266ff9481f43f3954a/thumbnail_479000.jpg","/articles/6117326/Gahanna/Franklin-County/Ohio/Parks-staff-outline-2024-wrap-up-and-2025-plans-for-Paddle-Gahanna-market-and-volunteer-expansion","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6117326-7189cbf08565cb7bde6cb80b15976fbc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771204200&Signature=A7tNkJT-cnGLde1FZhawnO~92sVam85gJ-qLq8xBz8Caoh6VWQyDTzyru4Gq0KIAfKNFPXaNw4FDafCm5rj~OZd6Kdt4QlgACYUWtMnHx5mXa7wQxKhdHzk84SjRKrpsMKhm36K5goV7Ph~2DaDSttEYCMeI6C7C30oH-U3XuYOp79uRhBW0xtGbqL79da3mm~a49bnDN1uS75IK7kY1gtq-kIp9fcSkY87L5TN7-7LuDfQr3hNNmuaZoJj3iJ0Y3qJdTGoPX4qp-pZTSaH0woPpFGsVei1P79iH~4XJ4VWANAW4IxYRtw2ej~FqLhkjrqX7v9mF5TgwTlwRcFbXFA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Recreation staff presented a year-end wrap-up of 2024 special events and paddle programming and described plans for 2025, including a new Gahanna market at Creekside Plaza, volunteer program expansion and grant-funded equipment purchases.

Recreation Superintendent Brian introduced Chelsea Hepart, recreation supervisor, and Tyler Wilson, special events coordinator, who delivered the presentation. Chelsea summarized seasonal staffing and paddle-program metrics, and Tyler outlined plans for a revived Gahanna Market at Creekside Plaza that will run monthly from June through September.

Chelsea said the paddle program and seasonal staffing were up in 2024. \"I've been with the city for about almost 3 years now,\" she said while introducing herself and the team. Staff reported 22 seasonal team members in 2024 (an all-time high for the program at that time) and that about 66 seasonal staff had already indicated they would return for 2025. Paddle-program gross sales for 2024 were about $9,500; paddle-boat rentals were 716 and kayak rentals were about 253. Specialty programs included three celestial paddles (37 participants), kayak 101 (8 participants), and two river-float events that together drew 14 participants.

Staff said the parks team won a Swaco event-and-recycling grant for event recycling equipment, and they also received an Ohio Department of Natural Resources boating safety education grant the department intends to use to add kayaks, a trailer and other equipment for paddle programming. Chelsea and Tyler said sponsorship revenue in 2024 totaled about $53,000, and the parks team works with vendors and community organizations to offset event costs.

Tyler said the planned Gahanna Market (formerly the Gahanna Yours Farmers Market) will be located at Creekside Plaza, near the Rotary Stage, and staff expect it to operate once a month on the fourth Wednesday from June to September. Tyler said staff are developing a vendor application and will issue it through the city's OpenGov permitting system once finalized.

Staff described an active volunteer program. The department partners with community groups — for example, Columbus Academy Day has supplied roughly 200 volunteers for creek cleanup and other projects — and staff said they are creating more sustainable volunteer roles such as trail stewards and site-specific maintenance groups.

Brian and staff invited board members to participate in the department’s planned July 12 National Parks & Rec Month event at Friendship Park and noted other upcoming items including the mountain bike trial grand opening and summer programming.

Staff fielded questions from board members about fees and advertising for paddle programs, market location, volunteer recruitment and event logistics. Chelsea confirmed paddle rentals use social media and a QR code at the millrace to advertise; she said the paddle rental block fee is $10 per boat for Paddle Gahanna specialty programming and that general shelter blocks are sold in fixed time blocks rather than hourly.

Staff did not record follow-up directives beyond ongoing program implementation and distribution of the vendor application and event details to the board when available.","Parks and recreation staff reported 2024 program statistics, grant awards and 2025 plans including Paddle Gahanna rentals, a revived Gahanna Market at Creekside, new boating-safety equipment funded by an ODNR grant, Swaco recycling equipment, and efforts to grow the volunteer program.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6117331,"Board approves minutes and a High Point fee-waiver request; one abstention recorded",259,218000,477000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2730544-cfbc473a724cad266ff9481f43f3954a&start=218&end=477","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2730544-cfbc473a724cad266ff9481f43f3954a/thumbnail_218000.jpg","/articles/6117331/Gahanna/Franklin-County/Ohio/Board-approves-minutes-and-a-High-Point-fee-waiver-request-one-abstention-recorded","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6117331-53867a589024d95d0ad73d5808ac85a5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771204200&Signature=jDdmEe2wTPsLbD9CV1sjrNh6pKAKvrQnuQoQ9E1mFHC4XgAyqI7JDX3zZuRORI45BNo1njL7JKiuWBweWHQZfnmXeSuedVpHciZXqqnGEQdV0Q4hftWwz7VMELkpRjN1-9yNN78IW7aCdIRsfWO-jdWEpN-GY40zbPJTtREckTd0O~Ya6O59-Qsv30JyyzP4lOPUFN0CeoQq5ndYjOoe3ITo-mR7gx1ODiOcKiA1c8tNnhIYUCwB-23tXkGsS2BSzKEWDqJy5cR0jGAoOZGF7H0K5iqHxXvz7Nn6cF9mE28L58v8H5nskYX4jf-k1V4x96YJVyZdDRA0Qyu~HUGGcA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Gahanna Parks & Recreation Board voted to approve the previous meeting minutes and to grant a fee-waiver request from High Point for use of the Friendship Park gazebo.

Board members approved the minutes by roll call vote. Later in the meeting, a motion to approve a fee-waiver request for High Point was made and seconded; the board approved the request with one abstention. Jan Ross, Eric Miller, Harvey McCluskey, Kevin McGinn and Donna Simmons voted yes on the fee waiver; Chrissy Kaminski recorded an abstention.

The waiver request was for use of the Friendship Park gazebo for a High Point group that planned a brief lunch stop after visiting the log house and before returning by bus. Staff said the gazebo is rented less frequently than larger shelters and that rental pricing is sold in block periods (for example, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. or 4 p.m.–8 p.m.) rather than hourly. Staff described the intended use as roughly a short lunch stop and said the gazebo’s capacity is smaller than larger shelters; one board member described it informally as about 25 people.

No additional conditions were recorded in the motion; the board did not request further study or referral on the matter.

Votes at a glance

• Approval of previous meeting minutes — Motion passed (roll call): Jan Ross — yes; Eric Miller — yes; Chrissy Kaminski — yes; Harvey McCluskey — yes; Kevin McGinn — yes; Donna Simmons — yes.

• Fee-waiver request, High Point (Friendship Park gazebo) — Motion to approve passed (roll call): Jan Ross — yes; Eric Miller — yes; Chrissy Kaminski — abstain; Harvey McCluskey — yes; Kevin McGinn — yes; Donna Simmons — yes.

The minutes and the High Point waiver were the only formal votes recorded in the transcript.","The Gahanna Parks & Recreation Board approved the meeting minutes and granted a fee waiver request from High Point for use of the Friendship Park gazebo; Chrissy Kaminski abstained from the waiver vote.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Mountain bike trail opening set for June 6; staff address multi-use congestion and park improvements

Parks staff outline 2024 wrap-up and 2025 plans for Paddle Gahanna, market and volunteer expansion

Board approves minutes and a High Point fee-waiver request; one abstention recorded