More than 40 people offered their thoughts about the future use of 57 acres of farmland and woods the village owns on the east side of the village.
They were responding during an Oct. 9 public hearing to recommendations by the Munson Springs Steering Committee, and many of those in attendance favored an option that includes a public swimming pool.
It was the second public hearing on the future of the land on the north side of Newark Granville Road, east of the Offices at Erinwood complex. The first hearing was for the village council, and last week’s meeting was one of two for the public to weigh in. The next meeting will be at 5 p.m. on Oct. 23 at the Village Hall, 141 E. Broadway.
Four recommendations were presented during the meeting. All include a nature preserve. In no particular order, the options are a passive park with trails; a park with sports fields; a sports park with a pool; or a community center with a pool. The committee that presented the options considered the idea of a public park with a community pool at the request of the Granville Village Council.
Sixteen Granville residents expressed their interest in the community center with a pool.
“I have a 10-year-old and realize there’s nothing for her to do besides walk around town, shop at the CVS, and eat ice cream at Whits,” said Granville resident Megan Cuda. “As a single mom who already pays high taxes in the village, I would vote for the community center with a pool. I think it answers a lot of needs.”
Resident Megan Olbur expressed frustration with driving to The Trout Club in Newark to swim or the pool in Heath, both of which she said results in her contributing to the revenue of communities outside Granville. She said that based on the amount of taxes Granville residents pay, the village should ensure such amenities.
“I want an outdoor pool, rec center and a snack shop right next to it,” said 8-year-old Granville resident Paige Olbur. “I want it because I think it would be fun, and we don’t have to drive far.”
Resident Anne Ormond, whose grandparents started the Spring Valley pool in 1933, said having a pool is a wonderful way for the community to come together.
“When you’re new in town, you don’t know people until your kids are in regular school. You really have to put yourself out to meet people,” Ormond said with tears in her eyes, “unless you go to a pool and your kids are in swimming lessons.”
Given Ohio’s climate, resident Tom Bunyard expressed concerns about the natural weather-limiting use of outdoor pools, which typically are available for only about 90 days each year – from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Sandra Benson, another Granville resident, echoed Bunyard’s concerns.
“I just want to know how much it will cost, because even for 90 days of swimming, I get it,” Benson said. “You want to ride your bike to the pool. You don’t want to drive to the pool, but the pools aren’t that far.”
Benson mentioned the ongoing costs to taxpayers that could come with a pool – maintenance, equipment, and paying a staff – and possible fees to residents to access the pool.
“Maybe some of you have an unlimited wallet, but where I live, we have a lot of seniors, and they’re on fixed incomes,” said Benson. “I’m just having a hard time as I’m listening to how people can make the decision without knowing what it would cost.”
Council member Laura Mickelson said the council is unsure, at this point, the exact cost that would come with the various options. The commission estimated the cost of the establishment as follows:
- The Reserve (nature preserve): $3 million to $4 million
- Public Park/Sports Park: $9 million to $12 million
- Sports Park/Outdoor Pool: $15.5 million to $20 million
- Community Center with an outdoor pool: $50 million to $60 million
“We’re just trying to, you know, focus on one area, so we can then dig into the details around, what is it going to look like, what community partners we’re going to have, what facilities do … the community need,” said Mickelson. “So we don’t have those details now … but this is not the end of the conversation.”
In addition to questions about the pool, Granville resident Sandra Boffa, who lives on the east side, voiced unease about how traffic might be affected by development on the site.
“In the morning and when school ends in the afternoon, we deal with the traffic that is going to Welsh Hills School, as well as bus routes and so on,” Boffa said. “It would probably be wise to have some people sit there during those hours and just see what I mean.”
Justin Fickes, of Newark Granville Road, expressed concerns about sharing a property line with the site.
“Obviously, I have some concerns, being right next door,” he said. “I see two out of the four [recommendations displayed] have parking lots that are (the size of) the entirety of my property,” Fickes said. “So I’ve obviously got a little bit of concern about that when we’re talking about 20 feet from my couch in my living room.”
Mickleson said the proposed recommendations are “just renderings,” and not the final design.
Village Manager Herb Koehler said the three council members attending the public meetings about the future of Munson Springs will distill the input and present it to the full council for discussion.
“And we hope that they will give staff direction on which option to pursue,” Koehler said.
Donna Chang writes for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program, which is supported by generous donations from readers. Sign up for The Reporting Project newsletter here.