The Geauga Park District is hard at work making improvements at Bessie Benner Metzenbaum Center Park in Chester Township, which includes upgrades to the outdated playground, shelter, trail and a replacement of the overlook.
The Geauga Park District is hard at work making improvements at Bessie Benner Metzenbaum Center Park in Chester Township, which includes upgrades to the outdated playground, shelter, trail and a replacement of the overlook.
The park district acquired the 65-acre park in 1991 and made only small additions and minor upgrades to the facilities since its official opening in 1993.
“We’re pretty much on schedule,” said construction foreman Isaiah Shipmen. “Everything is going pretty smooth.”
Work began in early July and included resurfacing and grading the gravel trail; installing water bars to redirect water off the trails; removing vegetation; and updating and power-washing both wooden bridges and the overlook structure.
“Summit Trail has been probably one of our most difficult trails to walk,” said Grounds and Facilities Manager Joe Slepko. “The overlook is toward the very top of the peak of the trail, a deck space about (8 feet by 10 feet) and you can walk out a little bit to stand there and look out over the whole valley. We also put a bench up there for a place to sit.”
Improvements included lengthening the trail itself from a half mile to 0.65 of a mile, crews were also working to minimize the grade, making it less steep in places and more accessible to hikers.
“The main hill on the approach was very steep. We put switchbacks in the trail, giving the slope a little bit less grade so that you could travel easier up and down those slopes and also for drainage,” said Shipman. “It made it a lot more effective for draining water.”
Shipman said dealing with rock, large boulders and stones on the trail added some difficulties.
“That trail was unique because as we went around the side of the slope, we just had to work through them and around them,” said Shipman. “It’s definitely good to build on top of the rocks, but definitely a little bit of a different approach to our normal clay trails that we have.”
As for the new playground, construction is well underway for the structure, which will be suitable for ages 2 to 12 in different sections and the adjoining shelter space.
The new playground’s footprint is similar to the previous one, but features will be thoroughly different as they align with the nature-based playground trends seen built in recent years at Claridon Woodlands, Big Creek Park and Veterans Legacy Woods.
“The playground is an earth and play, instead of your typical monkey bars, swings and different things of that nature. It’ll be more earth style,” said Shipman.
Other features will include a slide, small hills to climb, a rock-climbing/rope-climbing feature, toddler swing, wooden play hut, log-climbing, concrete tunnels, play deck and sand pit with a fun digger tool.
“It will give them a lot more interactive way to play instead of having the same swing-set style play set,” said Shipman.
Also being built will be a new concrete firepit, benches and patio space nearby, as well as the pre-existing Wisteria Hill shelter to offer parents a place to relax as their children explore and play.
Both features are expected to be opened to the public together sometime in late September.
