Supporters say the new park would help serve residents in an area where most of the city’s growth has happened.
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The land is at 525 W. Lytle-Five Points Road, at the southwest corner of Lytle-Five Points and Crosley Road, in Clearcreek Twp.
City Manager Chris Pozzuto said the seller was Gary Gibson. Property tax records indicate the owners, Gibson and his wife, live nearby on Crosley Road.
The land is valued at $76,270 by the Warren County Auditor’s Office. A home on the property has been removed and a sign indicated it was still up for sale on Friday.
During Thursday’s council work session before the formal meeting, Councilwoman Janie Ridd asked what would happen if the Clearcreek Twp. Board of Trustees decided not to collaborate with the city on the park.
“We have a lot of options,” Pozzuto said, including leaving the land as green space or reselling it.
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Previous discussion of the land purchase was in executive session.
On Thursday, the council adjourned into another executive session before returning to approve the purchase during an open meeting.
"While the city has over 400 acres of park land / public open space, most of it lies in the west and southwest parts of the city. There aren't any public parks in the northeast area of the city, where most of the residential growth has been over the past 10-15 years," Pozzuto said in a email this morning.
Before the votes, Pozzuto indicated the land could be developed as a park or left as green space.
With Councilman Jim Chmiel absent, the vote on each item was 6-0.
“This will allow the city to develop a park close to many of the newer neighborhoods that have been developed recently. The hope is to create a passive park that would contain open space, picnic shelter(s), playground(s), a small paved walking trail, etc.,” Pozzuto added Friday.
The city’s North Park is 2.4 miles away, across Ohio 741, Main Street in Springboro.
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The property sale price is $190,000, with $10,000 for a title search and other work done in anticipation of the sale, according to Pozzuto.
We were unable to reach Clearcreek Twp. officials about the proposed park.
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