Trustees approve transfer and maintenance agreement to Butler County Metroparks for conservation parcels

Trustees approved transferring approximately 71.616 acres of conservation land along the Mill Creek and Miami‑Erie Canal Path to Butler County Metroparks and authorized the township administrator to execute the conveyance agreement with non‑substantive changes subject to Law Director approval. Staff said the parcels were acquired via grants and county transfers and are restricted to green‑space and passive uses; Metroparks’ mission and resources make them a better steward for long‑term conservation and programming.

Staff said Metroparks is applying for grant funding to construct a parking lot at Firebird Lane to provide legal parking rather than roadside parking. Trustee remarks cited a successful precedent in another transfer (the Ronald Reagan Lodge area) where Butler County Metroparks conserved and improved former township property.

Trustees also approved a related maintenance agreement for the Ellis Lake parcel, authorizing Metroparks to manage and maintain that parcel under a contract that allows the township administrator to finalize and sign the agreement with Law Director approval. Both motions passed by roll call vote.

Staff said the transfers will reduce township maintenance burdens while preserving contiguous conservation land and enabling Metroparks to pursue grant funding for trail and parking improvements. The agreements were presented as cooperative steps to improve passive recreation access in West Chester Township while conserving environmentally sensitive land.