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Parks & Services Department 4725 Springdale Road Phone: (513)385-7503 Kevin Schwartzhoff, Director
Colerain Township currently has a compliment of 11 parks for residents of all ages to enjoy.
This is an exciting time for Colerain Parks. We are growing and expanding and now have 11 parks for residents to enjoy! For the first time the Parks & Services Department has a home of it own. The former Public Works building (and for those who have been in the area for a longer time, the former administration building, Police Department, trustee meeting room, etc.), located at 4725 Springdale Road adjacent to Colerain Park, was
Colerain Park, located on Springdale Road near Colerain Elementary and Poole Road, underwent a total renovation that was completed in the fall of 2002. The improvements gave the community an additional 8 acres to help accommodate a one-mile walking trail, a boardwalk, four picnic shelters, an amphitheater, renovated basketball courts, additional parking, playground areas and restrooms, new baseball fields with a concession stand, and much more.
We are also excited about the largest addition to the Department, Heritage Park, with 126 acres that was once the Wilhelm farm on East Miami River Road. The property, with one-mile of frontage on the Great Miami River, is believed to be the site of Fort Dunlap, the first settlement in Colerain Township. The flat topology of the property allows for both active sport field and passive recreational usage coexisting with the greenspace environment and water recreational opportunities offered by the Great Miami River. Phase I construction, including walking trails, disk golf, a canoe ramp, rain garden, eco lab, and a playground was completed in 2006. Four NCAA regulation size baseball fields were added in the spring of 2007. Since its opening, it has been host to a variety of activities including the Freemont Cup, a canoe/kayak race on the Great Miami River, and the 2009 NCAA Division II Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships.
Skyline Park and Skyline Community Center were the site of the 2008 Crosstown Helpout, a joint effort between the fans, alumni, staff and students of the University of Cincinnati and Xavier University. In one day, the group of volunteers, aided by Colerain Township staff and members of the community, transformed the Park and the grounds of the Community Center.
In the summer of 2009, reconstruction began on Clippard Park. The park, originally developed in the 70's, will reopen in the spring of 2010 with a sprayground, skatepark, three shelters, two baseball fields, a new access road from Bevis Drive, a walking trail and a new state-of-the-art universally accessible playground built by volunteers and funded through a $225,000 grant from the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust and the company's All Kids Can program.
We have also been the fortunate recipient of a very generous donation from a local property owner. Bob Wert and family donated the ten acre property at 3460 W. Galbraith Road to the Township in October 2009. The property, now known as Wert Park, currently has two homes, a large garage, small greenhouse, large vegetable garden and woods. Planning is underway as the Township explores options for the future of the park. Township Parks • Rules & Regulations • Summer Camp • Shelter Rental Ball Field Schedules • Movies in the Park • Concerts in the Park • Easter Egg Hunt • Message from the Director
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given to the Parks & Services Department after Public Works moved into their new building next to the Administration Complex. After several months of remodeling, we were able to move into the "new" building in late April of 2005. The new location gives the department two offices, filing and storage space, a conference room, a work station for the summer camp staff and maintenance workers, seven garage bays for equipment storage, a large pole barn as well as extensive gated outside storage. Previously, the Parks & Services Department was spread throughout the Township wherever another department had space to spare. Having a building of our own gives us a stronger sense of cohesiveness as a department, and also provides the public with an identifiable location they can contact to find information about local parks. The office is open Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and can be reached at (513)385-7503.