Newest Metro park taking shape with expanded acreage

Newest Metro park taking shape with expanded acreage
By MICHAEL HAYES
Published: Tuesday, June 8, 2010 6:12 PM EDT
Central Ohio’s newest Metro Park, to be located between Canal Winchester and Groveport, will offer over six miles of biking and hiking trails, fishing, a shelter house and observation decks for bird watchers. The park, to be called Walnut Woods, does not have a concrete opening date yet, but efforts are ongoing to get it ready for public use. “We’re looking right now the likely date will be late 2010 or early spring 2011,” said Peg Hanley of Metro Parks. The parcel of land is located between Lithopolis and Richardson Roads and is on the site of the former Eastside Nursery. The current size is 620 acres, but Hanley anticipates Metro Parks will acquire additional land off Richardson Road to expand the acreage. “Right now we’ve got 620 acres, Hanley said. “We hope to acquire 240 more acres this year,” she said. The additional land will be purchased from the City of Columbus, Handley said. Currently designated the “City of Columbus-Richardson Road Parkland,” that piece is a 240-acre rectangular parcel located on the west side of Richardson Road. Hanley said Metro Parks has spent $4.5 million thus far in purchasing acreage for Walnut Woods and the board will meet either this month or next month to discuss the newest purchase. Hanley said it remains to be determined as to whether the main access to the park will be from Richardson or Lithopolis roads. “Our park planners haven’t completed the design plan yet,” she said. The six miles of bike trails in Walnut Woods will eventually connect to trails in Canal Winchester and Groveport and also to the existing Greenways trail system’¦ http://www.snponline.com/articles/2010/06/14/the_times/news/cwmetropar_20100607_1239pm_4.txt