Licking Parks celebrates 25 years, continues growth

NEWARK - Even though the Licking Park District is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, district board chair Steve Holloway said that in a way the district is still just getting started.

"We’re almost still in an infancy at 25 years because we’ve evolved from just an organization that buys property and preserves it to a very very active role within the community," he said.

The last few years have been transformative for the park district. The district has brought back programs that died away. It's made repairs to its 11 parks and to the nearly 40 miles of bike trails it maintains. Through partnerships with The Works, local school districts and other organizations, the district has started working with children through educational programs. The list of changes goes on.

It's a much different situation than in 2011 when the district was lacking money and had to close all the parks. At that time, the district was financed with money from the Licking County Commissioners. That year it was only $200,000.

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In 2012, the district passed a levy for the first time. The 0.25 mill property tax generates approximately $900,000 annually. Now, no money comes from the county general budget. The district uses money from the property tax and grants to cover expenses. The levy will be up for renewal next spring. It costs about $8 per $100,000 in home value.

The money has allowed the district to grow from preserving 1,619 acres in parks across the county to making repairs in the parks and to the bike paths and providing programs again.

"We’re very fiscally responsible and we want to make sure ... that the citizens of Licking County feel comfortable with what we’re doing, happy with what we’re doing," Holloway said. "We want them to see that we’re doing what we promised."

District director Bob Williams said the district is listening to residents and creating programs, such as night walks, painting class and canoe and kayaking trips. And people are taking part. Last year there were nearly 7,000 participants in parks programs. From January through June of this year, attendance was up by 571 participants when compared to the same period last year, according to data from the district.

Williams said parks are needed to not only preserve green space, but also to promote health and wellness. By having programs, it's just another way to get people outside.

“Not everybody can get to a gym, but everybody can come to the park,” he said.

Williams said when people consider moving to a new area, the want to know there are activities for them and their families. The parks, he said, are just one aspect that can attract people to the area.

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"They are looking for not only good schools, but they’re looking for libraries, they’re looking for trails, they’re looking for parks. Those are pieces that attract people to move into an area," Williams said. "We also want to be a part of that solution of having good quality programs and parks that these families can participate in and feel safe in."

One goal Holloway said the board has for the next five years is to communicate what else the district has to offer, such as the dog park at Infirmary Mound Park, the disc golf at Lobdell Reserve, and the kayak and canoe launch at Riverview Reserve on the Licking River.

"We have so much more than bike trails, even though the bike trails are extremely important and that’s one thing we know. But we have so much more to offer and we want to be all inclusive," he said.

The park district has come far from where it was five years, but Williams said it is still working to bring awareness about everything the parks have to offer.

"There are things here in your own backyard that you can do where you don’t have to spend a lot of money, you don’t have to travel long distances to really have fun either by yourself or with your family and friends," Williams said. "Whether it’s at the fair or at a school, on the bike trails or just one of the programs here at different park sites. We’re just trying to open people’s eyes to the world around them."

mdevito@gannett.com

740-328-8513

Twitter: @MariaDeVito13