MOUNT VERNON — Knox County and central Ohio officials gathered at Ariel-Foundation Park on Wednesday to discuss how trail towns can lead to an economic boom for a community.
The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission led the event with officials from Gambier, Granville, Centerburg and Columbus brainstorming ways to bring trails to their municipalities.
“It needs to be more than just getting heads on beds,” Mount Vernon Mayor Matt Starr said. “It must mean something to the local community … it’s about what others say to us.”
There’s more than 230 miles of existing trail miles in central Ohio with 500 plus miles of proposed trails, said Melinda Vonstein, MORPC Central Ohio Greenways Program Manager. A way to increase miles is by encouraging cross jurisdictional programs between county lines, said Jonathan Miller, MORPC Senior Planner.
The Village of Gambier is currently developing a “shared use pathway” that’ll connect to the Kokosing Gap Trail and W. Wiggins Street.
Both Vonstein and Miller have received interest from rural communities who want to be protected and celebrated.
On the economic front, property values can go up 5-10% when trails are near, Miller added. Walkability helps play a factor into economic ventures.
Central Ohio grew over the last decade — adding nearly 240,000 residents from 2010 to 2020, according to MORPC, noting it ranks 27th in population growth among all metros.
Another premiere nationwide trail project that’s likely to bring increased tourism is the “Great American Rail Trail,” with 235 existing miles in Ohio and 100 more miles to go. Knox County currently has 35 miles of trails, Park District Director Lori Totman said.
State and federal grants are available for making trails and maintaining trails, Mark Allen said, with state grant Nature Works and Clean Ohio Trail Funds.
Totman is “interested in federal funding” and thinks maintaining trails is “important in the future” for Knox County trails. One was the Kokosing Gap Trail connection, which was awarded $498,000 with a 25% local match. The match came from Licking County and Knox County park districts, Totman said.
This leads to the potential of Intel and trails, with hopes to find any trails that can connect to the semiconductor hub, which is roughly 12 miles south of Centerburg.
“Knox County has a lot to offer inside and outside the county,” Bill Purcel said.
The planning commission ended with Starr speaking to the crowd about Ariel-Foundation Park and how it was a collaboration of mostly private donations.
“We like to brag about this as much as we can,” Starr said.
