Beavercreek City Council approved a master plan for the city’s newest and now largest park, Spring House Park, during their council meeting on Monday, May 22, 2023. The 148-acre park is located along Grange Hall Road, between Patterson Road and Shakertown Road.
Over the past year, Brandstetter Carroll, Inc. has worked with parks staff and the community to develop the master plan, which acts as a guide for the planning and development of the new parkland. A representative from Brandstetter Carroll, Inc. presented the park’s master plan to council Monday night - click here to watch the presentation.
“Through this project, Beavercreek Parks, Recreation & Culture staff is excited to continue its mission of delivering recreational experiences that enhance quality of life for our residents,” said Kim Farrell, parks superintendent. “The division’s vision is to build a happy and healthy community by connecting people to quality parks, engaging programs, and unique events.”
The plan shows the park will include natural areas; unpaved and paved hiking trails; playgrounds; picnic shelters; splash pad; dog park; disc golf; pickleball courts; multi-sport fields; basketball courts; outdoor fitness area; archery area; overlook shelter and fire pit; event space; retention pond with fishing docks; and restrooms. The park will also connect and expand recreational trails in the city, and include a spring house shelter as part of the park’s namesake.
A majority of the park will remain natural; however, the city intends to remove invasive trees and plants from the area and replace them with native plants. Volunteers from the community will have the opportunity to participate in this initiative.
“This master plan was created to reflect the community and is based on a lot of public input,” said Farrell. “Each amenity included in the plan was carefully chosen, as it was requested by community members.”
The public input process for Spring House Park’s master plan involved two open houses with more than 150 participants and an online survey that generated more than 2,100 responses. People who responded to the online survey indicated their first choice for amenities were natural areas; unpaved hiking trails; an all-access playground; picnic shelters; splash pad; paved trails; dog park; disc golf; outdoor stage; and sports fields.
“By actively listening to our community members, we have ensured the amenities included in Spring House Park’s master plan align with our residents’ vision, creating a space that reflects their values and fosters a sense of belonging,” said Pete Landrum, city manager.
“City council is excited and proud to share Spring House Park’s master plan with the community,” said Mayor Bob Stone. “The thoughtful design and thorough consideration that went into the master plan reflect council’s dedication to providing a space that is vibrant and welcoming for our community. We want to thank everyone who took the time to provide input and played an invaluable role in shaping this plan.”
The city purchased the park land after it was awarded $738,000 in grants from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources through the United States National Park Service’s Land and Water Conservation Fund. The city matched the grant dollar-for-dollar using park fees, which is money collected by developments in the city and can only be utilized to purchase parkland.
The cost to develop the entire master plan for Spring House Park is estimated to be around $35 million. A significant portion of the cost, approximately $17 million, will be for infrastructure. This includes preparing portions of the land for development, establishing water and electric systems, constructing roads and parking areas, and ensuring other necessary utilities are in place.
Spring House Park is a new park, so the city’s current parks levy does not support the development and operations of the new park; therefore, the city does not have the necessary funds to develop and maintain Spring House Park at this time. For updates on the new park, visit beavercreekohio.gov/springhousepark.
