Council accepts $590,000 Clean Ohio grant to buy 21 acres for open space near I-275

The Forest Park City Council voted unanimously to accept a $590,000 Clean Ohio grant to purchase a roughly 21-acre parcel east of Hamilton Avenue and south of Interstate 275 for permanent community open space.

Councilmember Sylvester, who introduced the resolution, said the parcel was owned by the Ober company for about 35 years and has not been developed because of limited road access. According to the resolution, the grant will fund the purchase, designate the property as community open space and support two rounds of honeysuckle removal to improve habitat.

The city manager had been authorized to apply for the grant in October 2023; the resolution approved at the meeting formally accepts the awarded funds so staff can proceed with acquisition steps. The council approved the resolution by roll-call voice vote with six yes votes and no opposition.

The resolution ties the Clean Ohio grant to the city's 2024 appropriations; council also approved an appropriations amendment at the meeting that includes the grant in the fiscal-year budget.

Council documents read into the record identify the parcel generally as east of Hamilton Avenue and south of I-275; legal or parcel identification numbers were not specified during the meeting. The council did not discuss alternative uses at length during the meeting; the stated purpose is permanent preservation as community open space and targeted invasive-species removal.

Next steps are administrative: staff will complete grant-acceptance paperwork and proceed with acquisition under the terms of the Clean Ohio program. The meeting record does not show a timetable for closing.