Sunday, May 02, 1999
Ky. board to consider park grant
Money would aid Dry Creek plan
BY CINDY SCHROEDER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The much-discussed Dry Creek Regional Park — appealing to everyone from naturalists to soccer moms — could move closer to reality this July.
That's when the Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund Board will consider a grant request to purchase some key acreage for the proposed 600-acre park in northwestern Kenton County and a small part of Boone County.
“This would have something for everyone, from families with young kids to baby boomers and senior citizens,” said Kim Patton, an architect with GBBN architects, engineers and planners, which is overseeing development of a master plan for the Dry Creek Regional Park.
“While there will be some ball fields, it'll be more of a natural area with trails for walking and biking, similar to Cincinnati's Winton Woods.”
Plans call for a paved trail through the middle of the Dry Creek Valley for biking, walking, roller blading and emergency access, said Dr. Mike Maloney, a 49-year-old Villa Hills father of four who has long promoted the idea of a regional park. It also would include 7.5 miles of hiking trails on the hillside, as well as space for soccer and baseball fields.
Kenton Fiscal Court agreed to serve as the applicant for the state grant last week. If awarded, the grant would enable the park's backers to purchase 50 acres of land that would provide a primary access to the park, said John Vissman, vice president of Forward Quest, a group that has been the guiding force for the park.
As one of the few flat areas along the Dry Creek Valley, the 50 acres also could be used for ball fields and parking, Mr. Vissman said.
“It certainly would be a very good start toward getting the park developed,” Mr. Vissman said.
Besides acquiring acreage, the grant of as-yet undetermined amount also would pay for archaeological and biological studies of the proposed park area, which now comprises one of the largest tracts of greenspace in Northern Kentucky, Mr. Vissman said.
On July 19, the Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund Board will decide how many applicants will share more than $600,000 of state money for projects related to the preservation of natural areas.
“While we will include active recreational space, the (Dry Creek Regional) Park will primarily be an opportunity to appreciate nature, to look at what plants and animals are there, and to act as a preserve for larger migratory birds,” Mr. Vissman said.
The park would follow the Dry Creek Valley north from Interstate 275 to the Ohio River at Constance, serving as a buffer between Crescent Springs and Villa Hills subdivisions and the Circleport business park.
Last year, Kenton Fiscal Court, Forward Quest, and the cities of Erlanger, Crescent Springs and Villa Hills each agreed to pay up to $5,000 for a feasibility study of the proposed park.
The previous Boone Fiscal Court split on the proposal, killing a resolution to fund the study.
“I think everybody is still comfortable with the concept,” Mr. Patton said. However, he said park supporters put off bringing the issue before Kenton and Boone County government officials this year, until newly elected officeholders had time to get acclimated to some of the issues before them.
“What we're hoping to do later this spring is to come up with a cost estimate (on the park),” Mr. Patton said.
Still to be resolved, he said, is who would own, operate and maintain the new park. Options range from a single entity to the creation of a regional authority, a power that was granted in the last Kentucky legislature.
Anyone who wants to express their support for the Dry Creek Regional Park can write John Vissman before May 20 at Forward Quest, 50 E. Rivercenter Blvd., Suite 400, Covington 41011.
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