MOUNT VERNON — Prep work for repaving the Kokosing Gap Trail is underway, and work is officially set to start in 2026.

Last year, the Ohio Department of Transportation awarded the Knox County Park District a $1.1 million TAP grant (Transportation Assistance Program). The 14-mile trail was last paved two decades ago and is delaminating in shaded areas.

“We were afraid there was going to be considerable match that would go along with that. As it turns out, they were able to pool a couple pots of money that will cover the milling and the paving,” Park District Director David Heithaus said.

“Out of our own budgets, the Kokosing Gap trail Board and the park district are going to try to do the prep work.”

The prep work includes tree trimming to accommodate the equipment. Staff will replace culverts to improve drainage issues and examine the bridge at Monroe Mills Road.

Heithaus was concerned the money would not be available until 2027. However, the district can bid and start the project by May 2026.

The Knox County Engineer’s Office will lead the project. Using local resources allows the district to move faster and save money.

Heart of Ohio Trail

The Midway Station project in Centerburg is ongoing. The project includes building a depot with restrooms near Clayton Street.

“It seems to be moving from one side of the path to the other across Clayton Street,” Heithaus said. “I don’t have a firm update for where it will finally land, but hopefully it will land soon because both the county commissioners and the Knox County Foundation have a financial interest in getting this project done.”

Heithaus said a proposed fence near the parking lot at Clayton Street is contentious. The issue is visitors enter the lot from North Hartford Avenue when using the bike path and patronizing Kolacheez.

Hartford Avenue is public property. Visitors must cross private property to access the bike trail, which is also public property.

Attempts to get an easement from the owners of the Kolacheez building and the grain elevator have been unsuccessful.

The proposed solution is a fence between public and private property. However, Heithaus noted that Centerburg wants to be a trail town. Building a fence between the trail and the town does not send that message.

Also, installing gates in the fence defeats the purpose of protecting the county’s liability.

The catalyst for the fence is that a private property owner built a building on county property. The owner also “straddles the boundary” when placing pallets and parking tractor-trailers.

The commissioners will visit the site to understand better the property lines and where the proposed fence might go.

related reading

Knox County Park District gets grant to repave Kokosing Gap Trail

by Cheryl SplainAugust 1, 2024

Danville inches closer to connector trail between Kokosing Gap and Mohican Valley trails

by Cheryl SplainMarch 25, 2024

Scenic rivers

Heithaus has advocated for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Scenic River program to create a state fund to support communities facing scenic river obstructions.

“We’re inviting people here to recreate in our scenic rivers, but we don’t really have the resources to remove dangerous obstructions when trees fall across them,” he said. “There’s the issue of it’s private property … and it’s also expensive work and or dangerous work that our staff is generally not up to.”

His advocacy, however, has not progressed past the director of the Scenic Rivers program. Therefore, the park district will not address any snags that are not on park district property.

“If a tree on one of our landings falls, we’ll do what a responsible landowner would do, but we’re not seeking permission to cross into private property to spend taxpayer dollar to do this work,” Heithaus said.

Commissioner Bill Pursel said the commissioners will talk with State Reps. Beth Lear and Mark Hiner, as well as state Sen. Andrew Brenner.

“If we’re going to have that scenic river designation, the state needs to step up to plate to make sure that the rivers are safe to navigate,” he said.

Heithaus said a single-stem incident costs $5,000 or more.

Spurgeon’s Landing

The park district received the necessary Coshocton County permits for Spurgeon’s Landing north of Township Road 364. It will be the third park district landing on the Mohican State Scenic River.

The park district is pursuing land for another landing on the Kokosing River. The longest stretch without a landing is east of Gambier in Harrison Township.

Parks

Ohio House Bill 497 authorizes the state to transfer 165 acres of old-growth forest from the Department of Developmental Disabilities to the park district.

The land is about half of the land at the Mount Vernon Developmental Center. The district plans to develop it into a public park with a section designed to accommodate people with developmental and mobility limitations.

Park staff will ask MVDC to help design a handicap-accessible path.

Heithaus said some of the trees are over 200 years old.

“I think we will absolutely get some kind of a conservation protection on it so that if the park district should ever disappear, the trees will still be protected,” he said.

Wolf Run

Wolf Run Regional Park recently gained 65 acres. Heithaus said Apple Valley visitors favor the access point off of Coshocton Road.

A ribbon cutting in June will coincide with celebrating the acquisition of additional acreage from the Philander Chase Conservancy and Kenyon College on the south side of Wolf Run.

“Then we will have a really nice 1,100-acre corridor that runs from Coshocton Road all the way past Gambier, south of the Kokosing. That will be a nice resource for the community to have around 25 miles of publicly accessible trails,” Heithaus said.

The park district has not gotten much traction reducing the 55 mph speed limit on Coshocton, but it is pursuing a park access sign.

Honey Run Highlands Park

American Electric Power is replacing two towers in the park.

An issue with the concrete pad on one of the towers means AEP will have to work on that pad before signing off on it.

“So, we’ll be about a year off schedule,” Heithaus said.

The park remains open, but several trails are closed.

Heithaus expects AEP to return in the spring to fix the concrete slap, remove the timber mats, and reseed the destroyed landscape with a prairie seed mix.

related reading

Wally’s Bench, water fountain honors Centerburg man

by Cheryl SplainOctober 21, 2024

Conservancy’s buy significantly boosts green space in Knox County

by Cheryl SplainJanuary 26, 2024

Other park district news

•The park district relocated its operations staff to a leased heated facility off Kenny Road.

•Park staff submitted a grant application in January for a data logger for the multi-use trails.The hope is to get permanent installations on each end of the county and on either side of the incorporated areas and villages.

•The district partnered with the Ohio Horsemen’s Council and applied for a Knox County Foundation grant to cover materials for a program/picnic shelter at Thayer Ridge Park. If KCF awards the grant, volunteers will perform the work.

•With the commissioners’ blessing, Heithaus will ask the state again about installing a “Welcome to Knox County” sign on the HOOT bridge spanning Routes 3/36.

•Park district staff removed several walnut trees from the Heart of Ohio Trail right of way.

•The park district is rolling out a pilot “Passport to the Parks” program this month to encourage healthy lifestyles and outdoor recreation.

•Tyler Griffith gifted a small parcel off of Updike Road to the park district on the Heart of Ohio Trail near Updike Road. Known as Wally’s Bench, the parcel features a two-level drinking fountain and a gift. Plans are to plant perennial wildflowers.

by Cheryl Splain February 3, 2025