Troy park board recommends council accept ODNR/H2Ohio grant to fund Duke Park wetland work and entrance paving

The Troy Board of Park Commissioners voted May 11 to recommend that City Council accept an Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) H2Ohio grant to support wetland restoration work and entrance paving at Duke Park and advance draft improvements at Hurlinger Park.

The board’s recommendation came after a staff presentation explaining that the city is the grantee for the H2Ohio-funded project and that a contract amendment added repaving of the Duke Park entrance. “I just want to point out in your packet that I had some details listed out about Hurlinger Park. I just want to make sure that that is informational only at this point,” a staff member identified in the transcript as Mr. Dre said, describing the Hurlinger work as still in the draft phase.

According to staff, Sustainable Streams will complete design and prepare bid documents; the city will then solicit competitive bids and select a contractor. A presenter told the board that H2Ohio’s scope includes wetland work that reduces long-term maintenance and benefits wildlife, and that the paving amendment requires the contractor to replace or fully repave the Duke Park entrance at the end of the construction project. “They will completely replace the pavement at the end of the project. So, we will get Duke Park paved from the entrance all the way back past our new building,” the presenter said.

Staff said construction is expected to be scheduled to minimize disruption to programmed evening activities—trucks and heavy work would typically finish by late afternoon—and that construction could take place in the fourth quarter depending on design and bidding timelines. The presenter also said coordination is ongoing with park volunteers; Brian Strong was named in the discussion as the liaison to the volunteer group that maintains the Timba area, and staff said the prairie trail may be closed during wetland excavation while other trail sections could remain open.

Board members asked whether the entrance could be widened during the repave. Staff replied that the engineering estimate in the contract amendment was based on the current width, but that the specifications could be written to allow bidders to propose a widened entrance if that fit the budget when bids returned.

A board member moved that the commission send a positive recommendation to Troy City Council to accept the ODNR/H2Ohio grant agreement. After a second, the board approved the recommendation by voice vote; the transcript records the ayes but does not list individual tallies. The recommendation now goes to City Council for final approval.

Other business at the meeting included approval of the April 6 minutes and brief staff reports: staff noted that Duke Park’s playground turf and sidewalk work were complete and the playground expected to open within days, and that swim-team registration had begun with nearly 200 registrants. With no further business, the board adjourned.