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 is broken down through a 75% grant request and a 25% local match," he said. He added the city has identified options for the local match, including bargain-sale proceeds and easement proceeds from the Little Miami Conservancy, and that staff set a fixed local-match commitment amount to give the city flexibility while keeping the application competitive. Kennedy said staff had been refining the application and expected to finalize numbers before the submission deadline.

A resident who spoke during open forum, Diedra Hazelbaker of 101 Ash Street, urged council to approve the resolution and asked several implementation questions about stewardship, invasive-species control, removal of existing structures and how the local share would be covered in the 2026 budget. "I strongly encourage council to vote yes on this resolution," Hazelbaker said, while asking city staff to clarify long-term stewardship responsibilities and timeline for structure removal.

Council members praised the Schuldemeier family for offering the property and emphasized the opportunity to protect a prominent riverfront view. Council member Ping said the parcel’s pedestrian connectivity to existing parks and trails could make the site regionally significant; other members described the proposal as the result of long-term staff work and community advocacy dating to an earlier planning and zoning discussion.

Kennedy told council that, if awarded, the city would likely know by this fall and that actual disbursement of funds would probably occur in early 2026. He also said that removing insured structures on the site was part of the city's planning if the grant is awarded. Council adopted Resolution 84, authorizing the application and commitment of local funds, by a recorded vote of 6 to 0.

Votes at a glance: Resolution 84 — "Resolution authorizing the city manager to apply for Ohio Public Works Clean Ohio conservation program funds for the acquisition of land for the preservation of open space and environmentally sensitive areas and commitment of local funding" — adopted 6-0 (Mayor Bailey; Council Members Bateman, Goodyear, Hart, Ping; Vice Mayor Phelps). Other formal actions taken during the meeting with recorded 6-0 counts included: a motion to excuse Council Member Orey (motion carried 6-0), approval of the August 26 minutes (6-0), a motion to enter executive session under the stated authority to discuss purchase of property (motion carried 6-0), and the motion to adjourn (6-0).

Council and staff repeatedly stressed the competitive nature of the Clean Ohio program and that acceptance is not guaranteed. The application process includes declaring intent to execute required declarations of restriction if funded; Kennedy said the city added supplementary restrictions and covenants in coordination with the Little Miami Conservancy to strengthen the application. The council’s action authorizes the city manager to finalize and submit the application and to commit the specified local match amount, subject to the limits described in the approved resolution.

Council heard a public comment and multiple council remarks supporting the application; several council members and staff described years of previous work on land conservation projects in Loveland and said the city would continue coordinating with Little Miami Conservancy if the grant is awarded.

The meeting also included routine announcements about community events and a scheduled executive session to discuss a property purchase.