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LISBON -- Village Council member Peter Wilson has a way for the village to make some money while protecting Willow Grove Park from development.
At his request, Brent Rodstrom of the Western Reserve Land Conservancy addressed village council last week about working with the organization to place the park under permanent conservation easement, which would protect it from development in perpetuity. Under conservation easement, the property owner is allowed to determine how the land can be used but those terms cannot be altered once the easement is in place.
In exchange, the WRLC would pay the village $1,000 to $2,000 an acre, and Rodstrom said the park encompasses about 38 acres, although Mayor Joseph Morenz said there is more. The WRLC's fee is $10,000 or 10 percent of whatever it ends up paying the village.
"You give up your rights to what you can do with the park in exchange for some cash," Rodstrom explained, adding the process would take about 18 months.
Wilson believes this is a good idea because the village has no plans to use Willow Grove for anything other than a park anyway. Village Fiscal Officer Tracey Wonner believes when the property was donated for a park the deed contained a restriction prohibiting its development.
The matter was turned over to the council parks committee for review and recommendation.
The WRLC is the state's largest land trust, and in 2013 it merged with the Little Beaver Creek Land Foundation, a local preservation group dedicated to protecting scenic land along Beaver Creek.
In other business, council hired high school student Brice Blackburn to serve as a part-time summer laborer. Council member Jerry Cox said they are still looking for a permanent part-time laborer to share among all the departments but the person they offered the job to withdrew. Council will take applications again for the position.
Council President Roger Gallo took a moment to thank Columbiana resident Doris Renfro for donating $250 to help pay for removing a tree from the curb lawn of West Washington Street resident Allen Cottrill. The cost is $500, with Renfro's donation to cover the village's half and Cottrill paying the remaining $250. Mayor Morenz said he already sent Renfro a note thanking her.
Council granted the Little Blue Devils' organization permission to erect a storage shed at the Cedar Street park for football equipment. In exchange, the organization is donating an enclosed utility trailer to the village.