Loveland City Council authorizes Clean Ohio grant application to protect 4 acres along Little Miami River

The Loveland City Council on a 6-0 roll-call vote authorized the city manager to apply for Ohio Public Works’ Clean Ohio conservation program funds to acquire about 4 acres of riverfront property along the Little Miami River and commit local matching funds if the grant is awarded.

City Manager Dave Kennedy told council the property includes floodway and floodplain areas, lies above a sole-source aquifer and contains a river scour feature, making it a strong conservation candidate. Kennedy said the city is seeking a conservation easement with the Little Miami Conservancy; under the proposed arrangement, the city would own the land if funded and the Conservancy would manage the protected corridor.

Why it matters: the property links to nearby public spaces and trails and would be preserved in perpetuity if the Clean Ohio funding is secured. Council members said the location — adjacent to Veterans Park, across from Nesbitt Park and connected to the Little Miami Bike Trail — gives the project regional recreation and ecological value.

Kennedy described the grant structure and the city’s approach to the application. "The way the program works is the grant…