City Notes: Whether traveling or staying in New Albany, parks near and far worthy of visit
With school out for the summer, it is time to enjoy the great outdoors.
A trip to the beach, time at the lake or a journey to a national park – like the Might Five in my home state of Utah – is my idea of the perfect get away. But don’t overlook wonderful options close to home, such as the Hocking Hills or Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Better yet, now is a great time to explore amazing spots right here in our own backyard.
Rose Run Park would be a great first stop in the heart of our town. This park literally connects people to nature, each other and our civic amenities – like the Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts, the Philip Heit Center for Healthy New Albany, the Charleen & Charles Hinson Amphitheater, restaurants, coffeehouses and shops – in the core of our town. It naturally brings people together, illustrating why we say that “Community Connects Us” here in New Albany.
We are also moving forward with plans for the second phase of Rose Run Park that will include a new veterans memorial near Village Hall. And Swickard Woods near our school learning campus offers more than 80 acres and an arboretum with more than 30 species of trees, some of which are 300 years old. Even better, all of these community assets are connected by our 55-plus-mile leisure-trail system.
If larger parks are more your style, head to Rocky Fork Metro Park on New Albany’s northern edge. This 1,000-plus-acre park received the Governor’s Award in 2015 for best Ohio park project of the year. It features New Albany’s dog park, running and horse trails, a beautiful shelter and a wonderful playground experience for children.
City Notes: Several city park projects in store for summer
By the end of this year, residents and visitors will be able to enjoy Taylor Farm Park. The first phase of this 100-acre park, about a mile west of Rose Run Park on Dublin-Granville Road near Harlem Road, will feature 3 miles of leisure trails, seating and landscaping and wetlands areas that will make this park an attraction for bird watchers. This park also will be the new home of Healthy New Albany’s community garden.
New Albany also is in the process of updating playground areas at five neighborhood parks this year (Byington, James River, North of Woods, Lambton and Planter’s Grove). When these are completed at the end of this year, all city-owned neighborhood playgrounds will have been upgraded.
Three other larger parks on more than 200 acres in and around New Albany (Bevelhymer, Thompson and Wexner) are managed by New Albany Parks & Recreation, a separate entity from the city and a fantastic partner in providing wonderful outdoor experiences for our community. When New Albany Parks & Recreation, operated by the New Albany-Plain Local Joint Park District, was started in 1999, its programming involved 150 children participating in four sports on seven leased fields. Today more than 3,700 participants of all ages take advantage of league sports on more than 40 baseball, football, soccer and lacrosse fields, in addition to other park amenities.
Your New Albany City Council will continue to work with our public and private partners to improve the quality of life in the best place I’ve ever lived.
Sloan Spalding is the mayor of New Albany.
This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: City Notes: Whether traveling or staying in New Albany, parks near and far worthy of visit
