South 80 Trails, Gardens, and Park Advisory Board
October 14, 2014 Meeting Notes
Meeting time and place: 7:00 – 8:00 pm, Village Council Chambers
Attendees: Mark Erhardt, Andrew Seeger, Doug Welsh, Joe Stelzer, Karen Sullivan, Tim Duever
Absent:Rob Winget, Jason Brownknight, Chris White, Debbie Henderson, Mark Glassmeyer
Meeting Notes:
We started the meeting with an update from Doug Welsh on the highly successful year in the gardens. The well continues to be in good working order and has been a great addition to the gardens. Doug stated that the well does not need any specific maintenance for the winter.
Based on the growth in the number of new gardeners in 2014, we are anticipating that we may need to expand in 2015. As per our September meeting, the Board recommends that the farmed field area directly south of the gardens would work best for expansion if needed. The Advisory Board will review demand for garden plots in the spring of 2015 and make a recommendation to the Village if expansion is needed. Doug commented that some of the most devoted gardeners were residents of Fairfax. The Board believes that continuing to allow individuals outside of the Village to have plots is a good policy, subject to the 10% of total plots guideline that was established this year.
There are still a handful of garden plots that were unattended in 2014 and need to be cleared. The Board determined that it might make sense to schedule a late Fall/early Winter clean up day in November or December.
Andrew Seeger provided an update on the Mariemont Junior High School hosted cross- country meet held on September 16, 2014. An estimated 120 racers participated and the event was yet another example of how the South 80 serves a variety of needs in the community.
The Board continued to discuss the possibility of expanded walking trails on the Little Miami Incorporated property to the west of the South 80. Joe Stelzer discussed this with Chief Hines and the Chief is talking to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department on the best way to allow Mariemont Police to have authority to patrol the area. As discussed at the Board’s September meeting, there is mutual concern regarding off-road vehicles and other unapproved activities occurring on both properties. The current thought process is that the installation of a gate on the path over Whiskey Creek to restrict access between the South 80 and the adjacent property is needed. The goal would be to make it difficult to access the area and discourage off-road vehicle use on both properties. The gate would have a lock that would allow for authorized access from Village Maintenance, Fire & Rescue, Police and the utility company. The gate would be positioned in such a way to allow for pedestrian access around it. A second meeting with representatives from Little Miami Incorporated will be scheduled as needed to move these items forward.
The Board is reaching its first anniversary and Board Chairman Mark Erhardt asked Doug Welsh for recommendations of gardeners who might have interest in joining the South 80 Advisory Board to add additional gardens representation to the Board and to replace Board members who may no longer have interest in serving. Doug agreed to provide suggestions at our November meeting.
The meeting concluded at 8:10pm.
South 80 Trails, Gardens, and Park Advisory Board
September 10, 2014 Meeting Notes
Meeting Notes:
The meeting was held in the gardens. The well is in good working order and the gardens are in great shape.
Joe Stelzer provided an update on the meeting with a representative from Little Miami Incorporated, which owns the property to the west of the South 80. Jason Brownknight attended the meeting as well. There is mutual concern regarding off-road vehicles and other unapproved activities occurring on both properties. The first item discussed is a gate on the path over Whiskey Creek to restrict access between the South 80 and the adjacent property. The goal would be to make it difficult to access the area and discourage off-road vehicle use on both properties. The gate would have a lock that would allow for authorized access from Village Maintenance, Fire & Rescue, Police and the utility company. The gate would be positioned in such a way to allow for pedestrian access around it. The second item with Little Miami Incorporated was to allow for walking (no bicycle) access to their property.
The Advisory Board also discussed possible gardens expansion in 2015 and determined that the farmed field area directly south of the gardens would work best for expansion if needed. The Advisory Board will review demand for garden plots in the spring of 2015 and make a recommendation to the Village if expansion is needed.
South 80 Trails, Gardens, and Park Advisory Board
July 9, 2014 Meeting Notes
Meeting Notes:
The meeting was held in the gardens. The well is in good working order and the gardens are in good shape after our June 28 clearing exercise. Joe Stelzer provided an update on the Eastern Corridor project. Outside consultants will be touring the South 80 on July 16 as part of their mediation report.
Due to several board members being absent from our June meeting, the Board continued discussion on the following topics:
- Farming of the fields: there is continued interest in gradually using more of the currently farmed land for other purposes such as general community recreation and/or habitat restoration. Jason Brownknight is going to get a better feel for the value of the land for farming and to think through options on how alternative uses could be fit into the space.
- A gate to control access to the South 80 from adjacent property: Joe Stelzer is scheduling a meeting with the individual in control of the adjacent property to the west in order to discuss ways for the Village and the landholder to control off-road vehicle use. The Board agreed to defer a recommendation on installing a gate on the path over Whiskey Creek until after the meeting. The gate would have a lock that would allow for authorized access from Village Maintenance, Fire & Rescue, Police and the utility company. The gate would be positioned in such a way to allow for pedestrian and bicycle access around it.
The Board also discussed ideas for events in the South 80. Given that we are already in July, the Board decided that we would continue to work towards a small scale Harvest Festival in the fall, but that combining it with other, already scheduled events such as the PreK Pumpkin Sale and Taste of Mariemont would be difficult this year, but perhaps a goal for 2015.
South 80 Trails, Gardens, and Park Advisory Board
June 10, 2014 Meeting Notes
Meeting Notes:
Due to heavy thunderstorms the meeting was held at Village Council Chambers instead of in the South 80 Gardens as planned. Mark Erhardt reported that the well was up and running and that the trails were in good shape after inspecting them the prior Sunday. A small amount of graffiti was seen on the side of the tunnel, but nothing that was offensive. A temporary “Non-Potable Water” sign has been posted on the well and a notice posted on the Facebook page, but permanent signage is needed. Non-Potable Water signs are available for $10 to $20 from the same supplier we used for our trail signs, so Mark Erhardt is going to discuss that option with Doug Welsh.
The Board discussed three items for review with the Mayor: status of the farming agreement for the fields, the need for a separate sub-account for South 80 revenues and expenses, and options for a gate on the path crossing Whiskey Creek to prevent ATV’s from entering the South 80 from the adjacent property to the west.
- Farming of the fields: the Board has discussed from time to time alternative uses for the fields such as open space for recreation or habitat restoration (trees and/or prairie). The board would be interested whether alternative uses can be explored when the current farming arrangement expires.
- Separate revenue and expense tracking for the South 80 and Gardens: Now that there are separate revenue sources from garden plot rentals and camping fees, as well as future revenue sources from events, the Board recommends that sub-account be set up to track revenues and expenses associated with the South 80.
- A gate to control access to the South 80 from adjacent property: many of the Board members have observed ATVs and other vehicles coming in to the South 80 from the adjacent property to the west. The Board recommends exploring whether a gate could be installed on the path over Whiskey Creek to restrict access. The gate would have a lock that would allow for authorized access from Village Maintenance, Fire & Rescue, Police and the utility company. The gate would be positioned in such a way to allow for pedestrian and bicycle access around it.
The Board also discussed ideas for events in the South 80. An idea that received strong support was to organize a Harvest Festival in the fall. Since there are other fall events such as the PreK Pumpkin Sale and Taste of Mariemont, there may be the opportunity to combine events. The Festival could include live music, games, information booths from local organizations, a bonfire, etc. Karen Sullivan is going to find out the date of Taste of Mariemont to see if there might be a way to build on the idea from there.
The new fire truck is a firefighter’s dream. This type of fire truck is called a ‘quint’ reflecting four capabilities that include an aerial ladder, pumping capabilities, a tank for water and storage of ground ladders and tools.
