City to buy close to 20 acres to add onto Schwartz Road Park

Avon

By Rebecca Turman

Schwartz Road Park will soon be expanding.

During a special meeting Monday night, Avon City Council approved an ordinance authorizing the mayor of Avon to enter into a land purchase agreement with Williams Way of Avon LLC.

Per the agreement, the city will buy approximately 19 acres of land for $470,000.

According to the ordinance, the property is located behind 34193 Schwartz Road.

Avon Mayor Jim Smith said the fact that the property is located just east of Schwartz Road Park, which already consists of 49 acres, makes it easier for the city.

“We don’t have to build $250,000 restrooms,” he said. “We have all the infrastructure there already.”

Schwartz Road Park is also already equipped with a concession stand, Smith said.

While the city may have to add more parking, Smith said, “It’s a huge cost savings for us. This is something we don’t have to redo.”

The city has been in talks with the owner about purchasing the property for seven to eight years, according to Smith.

 

“We have 2,000 kids in soccer,” Smith said, adding during soccer season, the park is full.

The plan is to provide more soccer fields on the property, according to Smith.

“We are a family oriented community,” he said. “We’ve gotta do what we’ve gotta do.”

During the City Council work session prior to the special meeting, Smith said, “For the size of the city of Avon, we should have a little more park land.”

According to the Avon Parks and Recreation Department’s page on the city of Avon website, the city’s seven parks consist of more than 300 acres.

Avon Parks and Recreation Director Diane Corrao said the department had placed a car counter at Veterans Memorial Park and Schwartz Road Park. From the second week of April until the end of October, she said 45,619 cars visited Veterans Park, while 63,291 visited Schwartz Road Park.

Corrao pointed out that the numbers don’t include walkers and bicyclists who visited the parks.

“(We have) several, several teams and we are always low on space,” she said.

Corrao said it would be a good idea for the city to invest in more parkland.

“When we bought Veterans Park, I heard people say we will never use it. Now it’s full,” Smith said.


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