Plans under way for new city park

The park should be completed by spring.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
HUBBARD -- Residents living in the Maplewood Park section of the city will soon have a place close to home where adults can relax and children can play.
Plans are under way to create a community park in the Maplewood Park section of the city. Construction will begin before the end of the year and should be completed sometime in the spring.
Julie Green of the Trumbull County Planning Commission said the park will be located between Rosser and Poplar avenues, just east of Jacobs Road. She said the park will likely be called the Maplewood Community Park.
The park is expected to include swings, sliding boards, a modular play system for kids, bike racks and park benches. There will also be a handicapped-accessible play area and a handicapped-accessible parking area.
Green said the creation of the park is made possible by a $300,000 Community Development Block Grant from the Community Distress Program. The county will provide matching funds of about $320,000.
Wish list
According to Green, the planning commission conducted surveys of residents living in the Maplewood area five years ago and found out that a community park was at the top of the list of concerns for residents.
"Most of the people wanted street improvements, storm drainage improvements and a community park. The street improvements and storm drainage improvements have been made and we are working on additional storm drainage improvements," she said. "Now, we have been able to allocate additional funds to the park project."
Green said the last year and a half have been spent acquiring the 22 parcels of land that will make up the 1.2 acres of park area. Most of the land, 21 parcels, was purchased by the county at sheriff's sale.
One parcel of land was donated by Maplewood Park resident Heflin Wellingham.
Wellingham is a member of the Maplewood Park Improvement Group. The entire group, Green said, worked with the county to acquire the necessary grants to put the park in place.
Plenty of use
Wellingham said he expects the park to be well used once it is finished. He said there are a good number of children still living in the area, and residents have waited some time to have a park in the community.
"We don't have anything in the area for the kids, so we decided to go for this and see if we could get it," he said. "We just wanted to have a play area in the neighborhood for the kids."
Hubbard Mayor Arthur Magee said the park will be a tremendous asset to the community.
"The people in that area have been working for years on that project. I am happy to see some of their hard work pay off," he said.
Once the new park is completed, there will be five parks in the city.
jgoodwin@vindy.com