North Ridgeville Review The Community That Cares
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our recent Coffee & Conversation. These gatherings continue to be a great opportunity to connect, ask questions and hear directly from city leadership about what’s happening in North Ridgeville.
Parks & Recreation Update
We were pleased to welcome Parks & Recreation Director Kevin Fougerousse as our guest. Kevin has served North Ridgeville for 15 years and shared how far our programs and facilities have come.
The original Parks & Recreation Master Plan, adopted in 2013, focused on maintaining and improving the amenities we already had. Since then, programming has grown significantly and now serves more than 1,700 youth each year. Thanks to a partnership with our schools, the city now offers a comprehensive football program.
It is time for a new Master Plan that will address future capital improvements and funding strategies. The next steps include steering committee discussions and upcoming public meetings. Resident input will help shape the future of our amenities.
Kevin also provided an update on Root Road Park. With $500,000 in funding from HB2, work began in November. Crews are currently focused on drainage improvements and the project remains on track for completion in June. Many of our park projects are driven by public feedback and identified needs. The department remains committed to continuously improving programs and events.
Updates from the Mayor
- Winter operations: Despite challenging weather, the city never ran out of salt and continues to receive deliveries. The corrosive nature of road salt has deteriorated the current barn, so it will need to be replaced. As we evaluate options, we are considering a larger structure that would allow us to store additional supply and better prepare for severe winters.
- Safety reminder: Several winter accidents involved vehicles striking plows, hydrants and signs. Most accidents have been single vehicle and occurred close to home, so please continue to slow down and drive carefully.
- Capital project planning: Spring pre-planning is underway for several projects including the Chestnut Ridge Road and Route 83 roundabout and the Cypress Road extension.
- Charter discussion: Recent changes at the state level will require review of a city charter provision related to competitive bidding and participation in consortium purchasing.
- Economic development updates: Meijer has extended its anticipated plan submission from February to April; The mayor will meet with RUF Briquetting representatives tomorrow; A new day care facility is planned near the Post Office; EV chargers are now operational.
- Old Town Hall: The building will require approximately $4 million in renovations to become safe and ADA accessible. The city will request proposals and evaluate options, though decisions are still well in the future.
- BP Building: Soil contamination remains an issue, but discussions with the property owner are progressing.
- Regional coordination: There is ongoing discussion with Avon regarding paving Mills Road.
- Community Garden: Our garden continues to draw interest from neighboring communities. Applications will be available in April. Community Care is also seeking volunteers to help maintain its plot.
We appreciate everyone who attended and contributed thoughtful questions. We look forward to seeing you at the next Coffee & Conversation which is an evening session on Thursday, March 19 at 6:00 p.m.
