Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks Projects topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sandusky parks update: Mills Creek wetland restoration, temporary rink plan, Pipe Creek parking and pickleball surfacing
Summary
Parks staff reported ongoing wetland restoration at Mills Creek Golf Course, plans to test a temporary ice rink at the Mills parking lot, winter parking/access work at Pipe Creek Wildlife Area and spring surfacing/fencing for new pickleball courts; bench pads will be added.
Speaker 2, a parks staff member, provided a sequence of parks updates to the board. He said Mills Creek Golf Course closed Nov. 15 and that the wetland restoration project is progressing: crews are moving dirt behind the cart barn and near the Hold 5 bridge, and a spoil pile will be left to naturalize as a prairie. "You'll see a lot of dirt getting moved," Speaker 2 said.
Speaker 2 also described recreational adaptations for winter: staff plan to reuse liner material from a prior winter to attempt a temporary ice rink near the Mills parking lot once temperatures are consistently cold, and they hope to offer coffee and hot cocoa at the clubhouse. He noted sledding areas and spoil piles for later project phases are not being impacted by current work.
On other site work, Speaker 2 described planned winter improvements to the Pipe Creek Wildlife Area parking and access from River Avenue and an E/F Street approach; he said the Roaring Association recently disbanded and the building tied to its lease reverted to city ownership, and crews will clear the site and extend parking to support water-based programming in spring. Staff expect construction activity to avoid sensitive wildlife periods and said March is the latest feasible start to avoid bat-season impacts.
Speaker 4 provided details on the new pickleball courts: the contractor Scribe will return in spring to apply the colored coating, fencing will be installed on three sides to allow equipment access for surfacing, and Speaker 2 added four concrete bench pads have been placed and benches will be installed when weather allows.
Board members asked about scheduling, usage limits and whether courts would be reservable; staff said initial play will be walk-up and that scheduling or time limits might be introduced if demand grows. No formal decisions or ordinance changes were made during these updates; staff will return with more detailed schedules and site plans as projects advance.
