Park director says Heart of Ohio grant request denied; near-term culvert fixes planned

David Hitehouse told commissioners the Park District applied for a Recreational Trails grant for culvert and berm repairs on the Heart of Ohio Trail but "we were not awarded that grant," leaving near-term fixes necessary. He pointed to a large cut-stone culvert near Opdyke Road that is sinking and, if it deteriorates further, could become hard to navigate for cyclists on narrow tires.

Hitehouse said the district's current plan is to place asphalt over the sinking culvert as a temporary patch or to 'lift everything up' when funds can be found; he described a contractor quote as "not 6 figures, but it's not all that far from it." The Park District will continue to seek funding and evaluate options, and staff flagged the issue as a priority for repair if additional resources become available.