Mill Creek Park Planning Process

[JPTolson]

TCT,

This evening I attended Mill Creek MetroParks' open house to solicit ideas from the public for the park's long-term planning effort. In the course of the two-hour session, I spoke to two park employees and submitted written comments (ok, a couple notes on a sticky) about the possibility of opening the creek to paddling between the lakes inside the park (the gorge) and about clearing the creek of deadfalls from Western Reserve Road to Shields Road.

Much to my surprise, while I was speaking to the MetroParks' chief of police, who is also a kayaker, he expressed his interest and enthusiasm for opening the free-flowing sections of Mill Creek Park through the gorge to paddlers.

While I was speaking with one of the park's officials, Stephen (forgot his last name) he mentioned his ongoing work of clearing deadfalls on Mill Creek upstream and downstream of the Boardman sewage treatment plant. When I told him about how the park trips/TCT trips go from the boat launch up lake to just upstream of Shields Road, stopping at the first deadfall, it was like a light went on. He then thought perhaps it might be more useful make clearing the deadfalls closer to Shields Road a higher priority since it would allow Lake Newport paddlers a chance to go further up the creek. Whether or not this will come to fruition remains to be seen, but it was certainly a potentially very positive development.

There is another planning session tomorrow, January 11 from 6 p.m to 8 p.m. at Fellows Riverside Gardens. I would encourage any paddler interested in making your views known to the park officials to attend.

jp

[mfdanko99]

That sounds great that they want to open it up. Sorry I couldn't join you at the meetings, but thanks for mentioning the club.
Mike

[wardie]

Due to my media position and producer of the Mahoning Valley Sportsman and the Bicycling Today programs on 570 WKBN I was invited to the "planning" session December 20th at Mill Creek Metro Parks. There was a great concern from those invited that the cleanliness of the water needs to addressed. Smells like sewage etc. was brought up by the agency guy who is facilitating building a questionare.

My take away from this is that not much will be done without the passing of levies. IMO is that this "fact finding" sessions in December and the public hearings going on this week will give them plenty of ideas which the agency building the questionere will put forth to the community.

Mill Creek Metro Parks will then ask for a levy to hire staff to spend the money (wisely or not) on those items.

The Outspokin' Wheelmen a bicycle club formed in 1974 comprising of a 450+ membership and many of them are influential have led the fight to correct many problem areas for bicyclists inside Mill Creek Park have yet to see ANY of these projects even started let alone completed.

I can hope for the best to come out of this but if I was a betting man....

Thanks JP for attending and I still have your socks :)

[JPTolson]

Just to clarify my point about opening Mill Creek to boating in the gorge during the Mill Creek Park planning session....I was expressing my personal wishes only, although I'm sure that many in the club would also like to be able to paddle the creek between the lakes. The police chief was also in favor of opening the creek to boating but I believe that he was speaking as a citizen/kayaker, not in his official capacity. The park personnel were just accepting public input and ideas. None of them took a position on the idea. I suspect that we would really have to push this as a club with a formal and detailed proposal to make this happen.

jp

And Wardie, I hope that you're enjoying the socks! LOL

[wardie]

JP opening the creeks is a very good idea and use of manpower and I hope it comes to pass. Yes the socks are warm you have a new pair waiting. Wardie