New Plans for Forest Ridge
5/9/2019
On May 8, 2019, Council approved Resolution 2019-25 to allow the Mayor
to apply for an ODNR Natureworks Grant for Village Park at Forest Ridge.
At the first few meetings of the Parks Commission, the "House on the
Hill" was discussed at length. The meetings were held at the
house and members took a tour of it to help them determine a plan for the
house. It has not been lived in for quite some time; it needs a lot of work and
the village would need a lot of money to do that work. The Commission
ultimately concluded that the house should be removed and a pavilion and vault
restrooms should be put on that property.
It should be noted that by removing the house, 2,000 feet of impervious
surfaces will be removed, which will be good for the environment and the
property. It was also brought to the Parks Commissioners' attention that
many people thought the house was a private residence, so they would often turn
around and not utilize the park. Taking down the house and building a pavilion
will make it look inviting and will encourage more people to use the park,
which is what we want. There will be handicap parking close to the
facilities and paved walkways leading to the pavilion and the restrooms. The
Parks Commission did spend a lot of time discussing all ideas and possibilities
for this property, so this decision was very well thought out.
After much discussion and consideration, the Parks Commission made a
recommendation to Council to allow the Mayor to apply for this grant to include
the demolition of the House on the Hill, building a pavilion, and installing an
ADA compliant restroom with drinking water, at Village Park in Forest Ridge.
Council members accepted their recommendation.