February 23, 1999
Riverside park part of phase two of Fort Ball project
By David Crawford
Staff Writer
Representatives of the Fort Ball Neighborhood Association met with Tiffin City Council Monday night to address the Fort Ball project's next phase.
Mayor Bernie Hohman also informed city council on how the city will be responding to issues related to the former city landfill on CR 90.
Rev. Frank Murd, along with project engineer John Grossman, began the city council committee-of-the-whole meeting with a presentation on the second phase of the Fort Ball project.
The second phase of the project would transform a strip of city-owned land along the Sandusky River from Washington to Market streets into a community park.
Grossman said that the park would take advantage of a wonderful community asset -- the river -- and make it into a front door for the community and the county.
The park would consist of a winding walkway throughout the area that passes along the river and moves through the numerous plantings and trees of the area.
''The park would be lined with the same acorn-type streetlights as on Sandusky and the Frost Parkway, which would light the entire park,'' said Grossman.
The park would be intersperced with benches and there would be large plazas for gatherings at the Washington Street end of the park and in front of the Fort Ball monument.
''We intend this plaza (across from the Fort Ball monument) for concerts and other special events,'' said Grossman.
Murd said that the first phase of the Fort Ball project of sidewalks and lights along Sandusky and the Frost Parkway almost is complete. There needs to be some final work on lights and landscaping before this phase is completed.
The projected cost of the community park is $404,000. Murd and Grossman were requesting $122,000 from the city for the project. The remaining $282,000 would be raised from private sources and foundations.
With the assistance of the city law director, the Fort Ball project is preparing an ordinance for introducing at next Monday's meeting for the city portion of funding.
Members from the North Sandusky Street neighborhood, Ron VonBlon and Ken Jones, also addressed council to see how their neighborhood could be included for improvements similar to Fort Ball.
Jones said that he did a random poll of 14 neighbors along Sandusky who were supportative of trying to get the streetlights and sidewalks of the Fort Ball neighborhood for their neighborhood.
VonBlon also wanted to see what the neighborhood needed to be included in future projects.
Second Ward Councilman Paul Elchert said that it is important the city help residents in searching for grants and other devices which can help make these projects a reality.
At-large Councilman Pete Galipeau said that he supported public-private partnerships like the Fort Ball for neighborhood improvements.
On the former city landfill, Hohman said it is a bit too early to predict what will happen, but the city has set up a task force to investigate the issue.
He said that City Law Director Brent Howard, sewer plant superintendent Brad Borer, City Administrator Wayne Stephens and Councilman Thomas Distel are the members of the task force.
The task force will evaluate the conditions of the landfill and the surrounding water quality.
Hohman said that Howard has suggesting contacting other communities to see whathow they have handled similar situations.
Stephens and Borer plan to contact residents near the landfill and test their water for contamination.
Hohman pledged to keep council aware of the task force's findings and options for the former landfill.