Park director outlines Woodlands Park opening, trail repairs and planting plans

Dave Whiteigh House, director of the Knox County Park District, gave the board a quarterly update on May 7 that centered on the opening of Woodlands Park, trail maintenance and tree-planting plans.

"We're finally in the endgame for repaving the Cosing Gap Trail," Whiteigh House said, noting four bids were submitted and that Small Sand and Gravel was the low bidder. He said the Knox County Engineers Office is managing the project and that a third-party inspector will verify the work meets specifications; no start date has been set, and the construction window remains open through September.

The Park District told commissioners it applied in March for a Recreational Trails Program grant to address larger maintenance needs on the Ohio Trail, including a failing culvert near Up Dyke Road. Whiteigh House described the culvert as "not quite safety hazard status" but said signs currently warn of a bump and that repair could be scheduled in the fall if grant funding is awarded.

On Woodlands Park, Whiteigh House said the public opening is set for Saturday, May 9, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., featuring brief remarks from local dignitaries, a band and opportunities for guided and self-guided hikes. He said an event shelter — 40 feet by 50 feet — funded by the Knox County Foundation is complete and includes ADA-compliant parking adjacent to it. He warned that final grading and a heavy-duty concrete apron to connect Verdigue Drive could require a temporary five-day closure later in the month.

Whiteigh House said the district has already planted 50 American chestnut trees via a grant and has about 1,700 mixed hardwood trees waiting to be planted; the opening will offer 50 to 100 trees for members of the public to plant. "The full experience is you come to the event, listen to some music, hike about a mile and a quarter, plant some trees, and hike back," he said.

On finance and administration, Whiteigh House told the board the Park District is not eligible to run a levy until November 2027 because the prior levy became active in 2023 and did not pay out until 2024; he said staff will monitor other ballot items and bring specific levy plans back to the board when timing is appropriate. He also said the district’s current paid staff level—"more than two full-time staff" is the target—remains a challenge given the scale of about 1,800 acres and extensive trail mileage, and that volunteers (largely retired residents) remain critical to operations.

The Park District plans to apply for Clean Ohio funds in September to pursue acquisition of roughly 40 additional acres adjacent to the Woodlands and will hold its next Park District board meeting on Wednesday, May 13, upstairs in the county conference room.

The update concluded with staff thanking commissioners for space and logistical support.