Council approves plan for rezoning of BG parks after public hearing
Author: Sarah Bailey | Filed under: Local stories, Student ContributorBy Sarah Bailey
A photo of Bowling Green City Council from the council's website.
Bowling Green City Council Monday night approved a plan that will place seven Bowling Green parks under one recreational conservation zone.
The action will amend the Zoning District Map of the city from various zoning classifications into one Recreation- Conservation Zoning District entitled the “R-C zone.” The plan was approved 7-0 by the council.
The seven parks that will be placed under the same zone include; Bellard Park, Carter Park, Wintergarden and St. John’s Nature
Preserve, Simpson Garden Park, Raney Playground, City Park and Conneaut-Haskins Park.
The new zone will not include the BG National Guard Training and Community Center off West Newton Road, or the Black Swamp preserve off of Kenwood Avenue.
The decision was voted on after a public hearing that same night from the Director of the Parks and Recreation Department, Dr. Michelle Grigore.
Bringing the parks together will provide citizens “permanent protection for their parks,” according to Grigore.
The action will also set the standard for future development and maintenance of parklands, Grigore said.
In addition to the rezoning, council also moved forward with a recommendation by the Aquatic Advisory Committee to replace the outdoor pool at City Park.
The council will vote at the Nov. 21 meeting whether or not to place the .06 mill tax levy request on the March 2012 ballot. The Parks and Recreation Committee met Oct. 17 and voted to accept the recommendation by the Aquatic Advisory Committee to place the issue on the ballot.
The money would go towards constructing, maintaining and operating the new aquatic facility.
Jodi Anderson, a member of the committee, said the topic of this facility is a time sensitive issue, considering the date to file a ballot
issue with the Board of Elections for the March election is in early December.
“The committee could not envision Bowling Green without this facility,” Anderson said.
Funding the facility will provide an environment for children and members of the community to have a place for recreational activities, she said.
In other action, the council:
– Approved immediate action for additional parking for the Heritage Corner Healthcare Campus on Klotz Rd, in order for construction to finish in a seasonal manner.
– Approved immediate cleaning of the Dunbridge Road sewer between Napoleon and East Poe Road, by allowing Utilities director to make an agreement with Darr’s Cleaning Inc., of Clyde, Ohio.
– Authorized the Mayor to begin an agreement with the City of Bowling Green and the Ohio Historic Preservation Office for the organization of actions funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Ohio Department of
Development.
