Sunbury committee advances JR Smith park plans; drainage and signage work set for Johnny Appleseed site

Sunbury City’s Parks and Recreation Committee on Oct. 1 reviewed progress on the JR Smith park design and financing and discussed separate follow-up work at the nearby Johnny Appleseed statue site, including drainage repairs, invasive-plant removal and possible new signage.

Committee members were told the JR Smith park design is at roughly 60% completion and the consultant VerDantas is expected to deliver 90% plans by Oct. 8. Staff said a bid packet should be ready for release in early November if the committee signs off at the Nov. 5 meeting, with the goal of selecting a contractor before the end of the calendar year so some underground work could begin in colder months.

The 90% submittal reflects incorporation of prior committee comments, staff said. Staff also noted the JR Smith design does not yet include a full connection to the State Route 37 widening project; the two projects must be coordinated and the route-37 work remains under design with construction not scheduled until 2027. Staff said the connection to the Ohio-to-Erie Trail is intended to be a shared-use (pedestrian and bicycle) path but a small gap currently exists between the JR Smith design and the SR 37 project alignment.

On the Johnny Appleseed site, committee members praised the statue’s recent restoration and discussed next steps: adding a light, installing a park entrance sign near the statue, removing invasive species, and possible apple-tree plantings. Staff reported that some existing apple trees were poor health and that any new tree plantings would be built into the city’s future tree-planting schedule and would proceed if the parks committee supports the idea. Drainage improvements and an underdrain along the park path remain on the public works schedule, with staff saying crews plan to complete those by the end of the year but a firm date has not been set.

Committee members and staff discussed scheduling outreach events tied to construction milestones: staff proposed a groundbreaking event with an invitation to JR Smith and a later ribbon-cutting ceremony once construction is complete.

On financing, staff said they will have a phone call with the city’s financial adviser and bond counsel to review materials needed for the city council and that the city is pursuing a bank-financing strategy rather than a traditional public bond issuance at this time. Staff did not present a council vote or final financing authorization at the meeting.

Votes and formal committee action at the meeting were limited. The committee approved the minutes from the Sept. 3 meeting; the transcript records at least two affirmative votes and one absence (committee member Gossett). No formal votes on the JR Smith design, bids or financing strategy were recorded in the meeting minutes provided.

The committee’s next Parks and Recreation meeting is scheduled for Nov. 5, when staff expects to bring the finalized bid packet for review and potential release to bidders.