With about 150 or more residents in attendance, the May 9 meeting of the Russell Township Park Commission was an evening of contrasts. After two…
With about 150 or more residents in attendance, the May 9 meeting of the Russell Township Park Commission was an evening of contrasts.
After two hours of meeting and discussion time, the commissioners agreed to meet with township property owner Mary Modroo; however, no vote was taken to purchase approximately 49 acres of farmland.
The two-member commission, Charlie Butters and Linda O’Brien, welcomed the surge of neighbors, but warned them the meeting could be halted due to fire safety regulations. The standing-room crowd lined the walls of the historic township hall building and spilled out of the two entrances.
“You’ve exceeded our expectations,” O’Brien said.
“I’m glad to see a lot of people here backing the parks,” Butters said. “Years ago, a lot of volunteer work was done in The (West Geauga) Commons. Stay involved. We want to have an Uplands Park trail committee to spread stone and mulch.”
Upset attendees remained largely polite through the commission’s business portion of the meeting. However, when the floor was open for the public to speak, Barbara Berkeley barely started when an uncannily timed visit was made by Russell Fire Inspector Sam Matthews.
Matthews advised the meeting would be shut down unless the crowd was whittled down to 73. With that, about half the public walked out quickly and quietly so others could speak.
The vast majority urged the commissioners to use their collected land acquisition taxes to purchase the farm. Two voiced concerns the park would cost them more in property taxes for the upkeep of a new park.
Resident Sharmyn Clark presented results of an online survey of residents that was promoted through flyers delivered to each household.
“Ninety-two percent of the 393 respondents favor the acquisition of the farm by the park commission,” Clark reported along with other responses. “Only 4.6 percent said it was not important to conserve land.”
When Butters said the commission did not have enough money to purchase the land and he felt $30,000 an acre was twice the amount he thought it was worth, residents refuted his statements.
“We’ve been talking about buying the property for years,” Edward Wells said. “I didn’t buy my home with one large lump sum. You go to the bank.”
Another resident asked Butters if he was a licensed real estate appraiser. He asked if an actual appraisal was done.
Joe Leslie of the Western Reserve Land Conservancy responded one was for $1.5 million.
The park commission’s land acquisition fund has about $1.35 million.
Another resident explained the land across the street from the farm sold for $30,000 an acre.
When Butters questioned the value of the farm’s hay field as preserved parkland, he was taken to task. He said a former longtime park commissioner could not describe the land as pristine, when he asked him about it.
“If pristine is the word you wanted to hear, the farmland is pristine,” Roy Podojil said once he was recognized to speak after several attempts.
Podojil recently resigned from the board after serving on it for 16 years.
“When we bought the Uplands property, we didn’t have enough money, but several residents pledged to help us,” Podojil explained. “There are people here tonight who would help us purchase the farm.”
Leslie agreed with Podojil the land was worth preserving from the WRLC’s perspective. He said grants could be applied for, and deed restrictions would depend upon the type of grants and the wishes of park commissioners .
“Each one of the 77 some land acquisitions we work with each year is a custom agreement,” Leslie said.
O’Brien pointed out she owns horses and voiced concern about unattractive aesthetics of letting a hay field go to seed.
“Just buy it and let nature do its thing,” another resident said. “We don’t need development, just more green space.”
