Explanation
BACKGROUND: The City’s Recreation and Parks Department (“CRPD”) is engaged in the Alum Creek Trail - Mock Road Connector Project, (“Public Project”). This project will allow for a direct 1.2 mile connection for the near Northeast Community to the City’s regional trail system. The connector will be an 8-foot-wide paved path from the Alum Creek Trail at Sunbury Drive and Mock Road, heading west and connecting directly to the city’s new Hudson Street Greenway. This connection will open a seamless 3.5 mile east-west trail from I-71 to the Alum Creek Trail. By linking these two east-west projects, over 6,000 residents of the Arlington Park, Woodland Holt, Brittany Hills, Argyle Park, and East Linden neighborhoods will be within 10 minutes of walking and biking connectivity to parks, churches, schools, retail, and jobs.
The near Northeast area of Columbus lacks safe, easy access to parks, schools, regional trails, and neighborhood destinations. In 2020, CRPD received Clean Ohio Trails Funding the Ohio Department of Natural Resources towards constructing this 1.2 mile trail connector along Mock Road. The connector will tie into the Alum Creek Trail at Sunbury Road, and directly connect to the City’s Hudson Street Greenway. Once completed, over 4 miles of east/west connectivity will be available.
The City must acquire in good faith and accept certain fee simple title and lesser real estate located in the vicinity of Sunbury Drive, Mock Road and Hudson Street Columbus, Ohio 43219 (collectively, “Real Estate”). Accordingly, CRPD requested that the City Attorney acquire the Real Estate in good faith and contract for associated professional services (e.g. surveys, title work, appraisals, etc.) in order for CRPD to timely complete the acquisition of the property.
The City previously passed Ordinance number 2465-2023 authorizing the expenditure of $92,000.00 from the Recreation and Parks Voted Bond Fund 7702. It is now necessary to authorize the expenditure...
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