HAMILTON, Ohio — Hamilton and MetroParks of Butler County have negotiated the sale of 44 acres of mainly wetlands and grasslands to be part of a larger conservation corridor.
The area is on Bypass Ohio 4 and north of Salvagini of America on Bicentennial Court, and is completely undevelopable, said Hamilton City Clerk and Special Projects Manager Daniel Tidyman.
“The soils of this parcel are not stable in the presence of water and would not support heavy vehicles such as trucks,” said Tidyman at the May 28 City Council meeting. “Physically possible uses of the property are limited.”
The property is within a 100-year flood zone and retains water for much of the year. Beck Consulting, Inc. appraised the land and recommended that it be used for some type of passive recreation.
“Financial feasibility is also a prime concern for development as it would be cost-prohibitive to develop on this parcel given its location in a flood zone and the challenging soil mechanics,” Tidyman said. “Additionally, there is availability for alternative developments in the immediate area.
MetroParks of Butler County Executive Director Jackie O’Connell said her agency has been leasing the land from Hamilton “to protect it,” but two years ago, the park district was approached about buying the land.
An Ohio Public Works Commission grant was opening, and MetroParks, with the city’s assistance, applied to pay for the property. The grant covered either 75% of the purchase price or $216,750. Hamilton staff is proposing City Council accept that total amount, under the property’s appraised value.
This property, O’Connell said, is in a corridor of wetlands, including in neighboring Fairfield and West Chester Twp. It’s also in a corridor filled with development.
“Our vision is to create a conservation corridor in this area and protecting the wetlands, protecting natural land,” she said. “It’s highly important there because there has been a lot of development there over the years. There’s a lot more concrete and a lot less places for the water to go.”
By buying this 44-acre parcel, they’re giving water another place to collect. Because of this, O’Connell said there will be limited public access, if any. There won’t be any playgrounds or other types of recreation activities like that, but she said trails could be a possibility, “but we have not gotten to that point yet.”
City Council will entertain the purchase agreement on June 11 and 29, with a vote on June 29.
