Richwood Lake Park has a rich history and has been used by Richwood residents for many years for picnicking, fishing, hiking, camping, athletics and spending time with family and friends. This public park, situated just two blocks from the downtown business area, is the hub of community activity throughout the year. Being the only park in Richwood, residents spend summer afternoons watching Little League baseball and dewy mornings fishing. An annual fishing contest for children in preschool to youth up to age 16 is an event that is eagerly awaited for young anglers. A local Church offers community lunches in the park on Thursdays and in the evenings residents can be found enjoying the playground or pitching horseshoes. Many family events have been celebrated in the shelters at the park. A North Union District Veterans Memorial was unveiled at Richwood Lake in 2004. Sidewalks leading up to the Circle of Honor are composed of 4-inch by 8-inch bricks and 8-inch-square pavers which have been purchased by the public. The Richwood Lake Park is truly the “activity center” of Richwood. The Richwood Lake Park has many facilities; however local residents will tell you that it is missing an accessible and safe multi-use path around the Lake. Currently, a narrow, well-worn dirt trail winds around the wooded areas of the lake that is used by walkers, fishermen and kids going to school. This path has fallen into disrepair and therefore is not used to its true capacity. The path is unsafe in areas because of undergrowth and exposed tree roots. In several areas, it is narrow and somewhat steep due to erosion. This part of the lake is scenic, but not accessible to many, especially individuals with mobility limitations. It is dangerous for those who attempt to run or jog on the trail and it has caused the North Union athletic teams to abandon use of the trail for training purposes. While some youth do use the current trail to get or from school, most of the children residing in the town of Richwood ride busses to school because of a lack of a safe route to school. Local data from a previously submitted Safe Routes to School Grant indicates that approximately 154 elementary school children and 117 middle school children live within one mile of the school. The North Union Elementary and Middle Schools, just beyond the North end of the Lake, are located on streets without sidewalks. While unsafe, the path continues to be used by runners, bicyclists, students using it as a short cut to go to a football game or other school events, kids exploring nature, fisherman, boy scouts, 4h clubs, and dog walkers. It is a connection for neighborhoods on the west side of Richwood to both the downtown area and neighborhoods on the east side of Richwood. This path desperately needs improved for both safety purposes and to provide those who cannot access it opportunities for both physical exercise and to enjoy the beauty of the Richwood Park and Lake. Please see Attachment I Richwood Lake Park Existing Conditions. It is the intention of the Village of Richwood to develop this dirt trail into a safe multi-purpose path that provides access for healthy activities such as biking, walking, jogging and enjoying nature for both young and old alike. A 2014 Youth Risk Behavior Survey polled 190 freshmen and juniors from the North Union High School. Approximately 30% reported they exercised or participated in a sport for at least 20 minutes that made them sweat and breathe hard one or less times within the last week. In addition, 20% reported walking, biking, skating or other physical activities one or less times within the last week. Considering the lack of outlets for exercise such as a local gym or YMCA, the trail is vitally important to building a strong, healthy active community. Because of the Park’s location, a multi-use trail will make many safe and important connections within the community. Creating a multi-use trail around the Lake would be a first link to provide school children a safe route to their school buildings. On the south side of the Park, nearly 50% of the 43 residents of Richwood Green have mobility issues and do not have safe places to enjoy the outdoors. Sidewalks on streets near the Richwood Park are lacking and this makes enjoying the Richwood Lake Park for these adults impossible. These older and disabled residents would gain the benefit of exercise, recreation and social activities from having a wheel chair accessible trail around the lake. Support for the trail has been building over the last two years. Funding has been secured by Community Action Organization of Delaware, Union and Morrow County to create a sidewalk from the senior apartments to a designated Trailhead in the Park. Members of the business community, North Union School District, and community are in support of developing a safe trail as evidenced in local informational meetings that began in October of 2012. Meeting participants shared a rich history of the park and verbalized support of a safe path constructed to further their enjoyment and use of this community park. The vision of this path would be to connect the schools, community, businesses and seniors within this small village. Longer range plans include incorporating this trail around the Richwood Lake as a destination into the Union County Trail Corridor Plan. Please see Attachment II, Parks Map. This Union County Map includes a proposed Bike Trail leading into Richwood Park. This proposed trail was mapped as a result of a May, 2007 meeting with Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission. Currently, a new Union County Trail and Greenway System Master Plan is in the beginning phases of being developed by the Marysville-Union County Port Authority. The Village of Richwood and other stakeholders have advised the Marysville-Union County Port Authority of the Richwood Trail Project and ODNR grant submission and the Village was invited to participate on the steering committee for the Plan. The Richwood Trail has become one of three priority projects of the Master Plan. In addition, the consultants for the Trail and Greenway System Master Plan project (CT Consultants) have been informed of the project to create a multi-use trail around the scenic Richwood Lake. A recent survey of Union County residents by the Union County Chamber of Commerce found that 74.46% of respondents (242) felt that bicycle trails, walking paths, and greenways are “very important”. While the Richwood Lake Park is a rich resource for this village, the Village operates on a shoestring budget, reserving most resources for improving water lines and the most basic needs of Village residents. The Village recently passed an operating levy after residents turned down a levy over a year ago. The Village will use some of this funding, along with grants and in-kind support, to make this multi-use paved path a reality for residents.
