Mount Vernon awarded $185,000 grant to build trails, boardwalks and restore stream at Blackjack Wetlands

Parks staff briefed the council committee on the Blackjack Wetlands project and said the city secured a $185,000 grant (described in materials as an "ENRACK" grant) to fund improvements that will make the wetland accessible while minimizing ecological impacts.

Quinton Platt, introduced to the committee as a professional engineer, walked members through the plan: trails that meander through the project area, boardwalks where trails cross wetlands to keep visitors' feet dry, invasive-plant removal, and establishment of a native prairie in an existing clearing. The plan also includes a stream/oxbow restoration along Delano Run to reconnect historic floodplain flow and improve aquatic habitat.

Staff emphasized the parcel was purchased with Clean Ohio funds and carries a restriction that it remain a wetland/nature preserve, which constrains design decisions. Committee members asked about ADA accessibility; staff said full ADA-compliant trails would be costly and potentially ecologically intrusive, and described alternate approaches such as more-accessible entry paths or partnering to provide specialized all-terrain mobility devices for visitors with limited mobility.

"We were awarded that grant was $185,000 for these exact improvements that you're looking at here," Platt said, summarizing the award. Staff also discussed partnering with nearby Liberty Crossing developers to link trail networks in the future.

What’s next: The item will proceed to its second reading; staff said the funds become available July 1 and there is no emergency clause on the legislation.