London city council member Joshua Peters said a focus will be placed on the ball fields at Merri-Mac Park when it comes to improvements.
(Posted Oct. 9, 2020)
Kristy Zurbrick, Madison Editor
London resident David Jackson appreciates the improvements made to Cowling Park over the last several years, but he wonders when more attention will be paid to Merri-Mac Park.
“We need more back there,” he said at the Oct. 1 London city council meeting.
Council member Joshua Peters assured Jackson that improvements at Merri-Mac Park are at the top of the public service committee’s to-do list.
“We are hoping to get a plan together for what to do at the park,” he said, noting that the topic will be discussed at one of the committee’s upcoming meetings. The committee meets at 6 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month at city hall, 20 S. Walnut St.
Currently, city workers are cleaning up the BMX track at the park so that the community can use it again. Also planned is replacement of basketball backboards that were vandalized years ago.
One of the bigger projects, Peters said, is repair and maintenance of the ball fields. Merri-Mac is home to four Little League baseball fields and two softball fields. He said all six need work but especially the softball fields–fencing, dugouts and the fields themselves.
Peters asked for the public’s patience as a plan is put together.
“Something is going to happen there,” he said.
In other action, council addressed several petitions for vacating alleys around town. Up for a vote was vacation of the alley that runs between 56 Logan Ave. and 60 Logan Ave.
Kimberly Burdett, who lives within 200 feet of the area, spoke in favor of the petition, saying it would increase safety for children who live in the area. She also said it would create more of a neighborhood feel that would allow residents to better enjoy their backyards.
Brendan Shea, whose home sits on the alley, also mentioned the safety issue in his comments supporting the petition.
Council voted 5-1, with council member Brenda Russell absent, to approve the vacation. Peters cast the dissenting vote.
Because the four homes on the alley have garages that sit on the alley, Peters said he views it as active. And while all parties in the area have signed off on the vacation, he wonders what would happen to garage access in the future if someone decided to extend a fence into the alley or someone new moved in and wanted to make changes.
Council will vote on two more alley vacations following public hearings on Nov. 5–one located south of Vernon Avenue and another located between 201 W. High St. and 209 W. High St.
Council approved the street department’s request for transferring $9,500 from its part-time salaries budget line to its maintenance and equipment line to make repairs to the street department building.
Members also held a second reading on an ordinance calling for an increase in stormwater utility fees. A third reading will be held at council’s Oct. 15 meeting, at which time council could vote on the matter. The meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. at city hall. Meetings also are streamed online and available for viewing after the fact. For a link, go to www.londonohio.gov and click on “City Council” under the “Our Government” tab.
