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Clark County Park District reviews merger, projects and funding as it manages 33 parks
Summary
Leanne Castillo, director of the Clark County Park District, presented the district’s first-year merger update and recent projects, citing inventories, partnerships and grant-funded improvements while answering commissioners’ questions.
Leanne Castillo, director of the Clark County Park District, told the Springfield City Commission on June 30 that the park districts merged last year and the combined entity now manages 33 parks across more than 2,000 acres.
Castillo said the district, legally named the Clark County Park District, operates 13 nature preserves, 52 athletic courts/fields/diamonds, 30 miles of paved trails and 18 playgrounds, and noted the district’s connection to the region’s larger paved-path network. She described recent work including playground and court renovations, a concrete skate park, a pump track, trail improvements and additions to hiking and nature areas.
The presentation summarized recent outputs: about 5,000 programs over the past decade, almost 4,000 shelter rentals, roughly 2,000 trees planted, 86,000 flowers, 17 miles of hiking trails added and 80 acres of prairie restored. Castillo highlighted local partnerships and grant-supported projects, citing community development block grants used for improvements at Davie Moore, Sherman Avenue and Selmer Road parks and a new bridge and Rotary playground at Snyder Park.
Castillo described current priorities as: proactive property management, financial sustainability, law‑enforcement strategies for parks, and outreach to tell the parks’ story to residents. She listed recent and upcoming grant-funded projects, including a Crabill Family Foundation grant for renovations at the Davidson Interpretive Center and Ohio Department of Health funding for a water fit stop. She said some projects (for example, an interpretive center renovation and a Mad River Gorge bridge) are advancing through grant applications and partnership work.
Commissioners thanked Castillo and her staff. Several commissioners expressed personal appreciation for parks and recounted memories and family use. Castillo said the district has a contract to manage city-owned parks and that staff would provide tour dates for commissioners this summer and fall.
The presentation was informational; the commission did not take legislative action at the meeting on park-specific ordinances or funding beyond verbal acknowledgements and thanks.
