Parks Commission October Meeting

The Parks Commission met Wednesday morning. We discussed plans for holiday lighting, the Riverside Park Pavilion, dog park turf, peddling in parks, and River Walk Trail signs.

Park Event Applications

We had two park event applications to review, both from the Chagrin Valley Jaycees and both for holiday lighting in the village. Both events are planned in the same way as previous years, and both events passed unanimously.

Riverside Park Improvements and Shelter

Next, we revisited the topic of a new pavilion in Riverside Park. We’re pretty much starting from scratch and revisiting the location, size, and style of the structure to build. After some discussion we all agreed that the location should be our first decision, so we’ve scheduled a special Parks meeting on Tuesday, October 10th at 8:30 am in Riverside Park to walk around and look at options. The public is invited and encouraged to attend.

River Run Dog Park Artificial Turf

We also discussed the possibility of artificial turf in the dog park at River Run (affectionately known as River Bark Park). We decided that we need more information before making any kind of decision, so Chief Administrative Officer Rob Jamieson will be reaching out to contacts in Beechwood to learn more about their experience building and maintaining a dog park with artificial turf.

Miscellaneous

There were a couple of additional items introduced under miscellaneous:

Peddling in the Parks. We were advised by the village administration that lately there have been a couple of complaints about people selling goods in the parks, and they’ve determined that our existing ordinances don’t actually prevent people from doing that. The commission was asked to request that a new ordinance be drafted that prohibits the sales of goods in our parks unless part of an approved event like Blossom or Art by the Falls.

River Walk Trail Signage. We reviewed the final designs for new signage to be installed along the River Walk Trail, a project in collaboration with the Chagrin History Center. Other than a few grammatical issues, they are ready for production.

An image of a sign that reads “Riverwalk Trail. Supported by Chagrin History Center & Village of Chagrin Falls. Mill Street Entrance. Welcome to Riverwalk Trail. This area was once a bustling mill and stone quarry. The path allows you to walk along the Chagrin River and enjoy its natural beauty. Keep an eye out for other informational signs along the way. Stone Quarry. A large stone quarry was located on the other side of the river. It supplied stone and materials for much of Chagrin Falls and surrounding areas for sidewalks and foundations. Paper Mill. The mill was active for over 160 years, from 1841 until 2004. Very little of the structures that once graced the river is left. Learn more! Visit the Chagrin History Center, 87 E. Washington Street 440-247-4695. www.chagrinhistory.org”
Mill Street Entrance
An image of a sign that reads “Riverwalk Trail. Supported by Chagrin History Center & Village of Chagrin Falls. 1840s. The dam you see here was originally built in 1841 by Aaron Bliss and John Mayhew to run a flour mill. In 1842 the mill was changed to a woolen mill. The mill produced thousands of yards of wool cloth. In the mid 1840s, the mill was sold to the Lake Erie Paper Company and converted to paper manufacturing. The mill produced paper until a fire in 1854. 1850s. Davis and Son rebuilt the mill to produce newsprint using rags and straw fiber. They were in business until 1858. Local brothers Alfred and Fitch Adams, along with Mr. Jewett of Cincinnati purchased the mill and formed the Adams and Jewett Company. They began making paper using manila rope for fiber. Because of its location on the river, the mill was susceptible to many floods. 1890s-2000s. The company was renamed the Adams Bag Company in 1899. It was one of the most successful paper manufacturers in the country. In 1925, it became a part of the Chase Bag Company. Chase Bag operated here until 1990 when it was sold to IVEX Corporation. The mill finally closed for business in 2004. Learn more! Visit the Chagrin History Center, 87 E. Washington Street 440-247-4695. www.chagrinhistory.org”
Along the Trail
An image of a sign that reads “Riverwalk Trail. Supported by Chagrin History Center & Village of Chagrin Falls. Vincent Street Entrance. Welcome to Riverwalk Trail. This area was once a bustling mill and stone quarry. The mill was active for over 160 years, from 1841 until 2004. Very little of the structures that once graced the river are left. Stone Quarry. A large stone quarry was located on this side of the river. It supplied stone and materials for much of Chagrin Falls and surrounding areas for sidewalks and foundations. Chagrin Falls, 1890. Looking downriver you would see the Phoenix block and the back of the hardware store. Looking upriver you would see the stack for the paper mill. Paper mill, 1930s. Learn more! Visit the Chagrin History Center, 87 E. Washington Street 440-247-4695. www.chagrinhistory.org”
Vincent Street Entrance

Parks Strategic Plan

With a few minutes left in the meeting we discussed next steps for the Parks Survey. On the advice of council president Angie DeBernardo we’re going to refer it to the Facilities & Services committee to finalize and publish.