Jackson Township's amphitheater gets new name thanks to donation from longtime residents
JACKSON TWP. – North Park now is home to The Nash Family-Jackson Amphitheater.
Longtime township residents Dennis and Elizabeth Nash donated $250,000 and earned naming rights for the amphitheater, which started hosting events in 2021.
"This is something we wanted to do for the community," Dennis Nash said during Tuesday's township trustees meeting. "We're proud to be part of the Jackson community."
Trustees approved the naming rights plan during the meeting.
More Jackson Township news:Trustees OK Stream and Wetlands Credit Purchase Program agreement
Fiscal Officer Randy Gonzalez said the donation will be invested into the amphitheater. The township hopes to add a video wall that can be used for the summer "movie in the park" events and other programs, as well as displaying advertising. Funds also will be set aside for maintenance of the facility.
"This is a special moment for all of us who have worked so long on the amphitheater," Gonzalez said of the donation. Township officials spent more than 20 years discussing an amphitheater, and were able to move forward with the idea when state funding became available to 2016.
More about the Nash family of Jackson Township
Dennis Nash is executive chairman of Kenan Advantage Group, which is based in Jackson Township. Nash helped launch the business in 1989 and it has grown to be a nationwide trucking company that hauls fuel, chemicals, specialty products and food products. The company has 10,000 employees, with 600 working in the Stark County area.
"We've had a successful business and we [want to give] something back to the community," Nash said. The couple likes supporting projects that help children and give families a place to go. They've been impressed with events at the amphitheater and township's management of the facility.
The couple said they hope their example might encourage others in the community to make donations and support projects.
Other Jackson Township trustees' action
In other business, trustees approved revised plans for a condominium development, but rejected a rezoning request that would have allowed construction of a car wash in the Greens at Belden development.
Trustees approved a condominium project at 6990 Hills & Dales Street NW after the developer — Vail Capital Group ― made changes requested by neighbors and trustees. The project had been discussed in a hearing last month where neighbors expressed concerns about water runoff, traffic and proximity of the new buildings.
The project calls for construction of 10 buildings — seven with three units and three with two units ― on a 4.6 acre tract. Developers asked for rural residential zoning to be switched to residential planned unit development. The developers realigned some of the units and included mounds to separate the new buildings from nearby houses.
Although the zoning has been approved, the plan still faces review by Stark County agencies.
Trustees rejected a request to change zoning for 1.36 acres on the southeast corner of Belden Greens Circle and Fulton Drive NW to allow a car wash. The project is zoned for business development, but would have to be zoned industrial for the car wash.
The property would be leased by Giant Eagle for the car wash, which is aligned with the company's Get-Go convenience stores and grocery stores. Developers pointed out that the use had been permitted on property zoned for business, but that changed in May when trustees moved car washes to property zoned industrial. Trustees said zoning rules would allow them to zone the parcel for industrial use.
Reach Edd at 330-580-8484 or edd.pritchard@cantonrep.com On Twitter: @epritchardREP
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Donation earns Nash family naming rights to Jackson amphitheater
