MOUNT VERNON—After two decades, access to the Blackjack Road Wetlands Preserve is closer to reality.
The city bought the 53-acre parcel in 2004 using city funds, a private donation, and Clean Ohio funds provided by the Ohio Public Works Commission’s Natural Resources Assistance Council (NRAC).
In 2015, the city placed it under the care of the Owl Creek Conservancy. A deed restriction ensures it remains a habitat.
City council members gave legislation authorizing the city to apply for NRAC funds to pay for walking trails in the preserve a first reading on Monday.
“We’re only allowed to ask for these funds to buy new land or to enhance land that was purchased by the program,” City Engineer Brian Ball explained.
The city has long aimed to add walking paths in the preserve.
“This was in the original plan, but it never has been done,” Ball said. “The Owl Creek folks have said, ‘We want to make this walkable-accessible. We want the public to enjoy the space; we’re going to have people living next to it.’ ”
Acreage east of the Blackjack Road Wetlands Preserve will become the site of Highland Real Estate’s Liberty Crossing subdivision.
Earlier this month, the Mount Vernon Municipal Planning Commission approved a variance removing HRE’s shared-use path from the wetlands area. HRE realigned it to connect with the conservancy’s future path.
“We want to welcome people to this great, publicly-owned, publicly-funded asset, but we don’t want them damaging the ecosystem,” Ball said.
The conservancy plans to install raised boardwalks over areas pedestrians could negatively impact.
“People get to see how beautiful that place is, and by having the designated trails on the boardwalks, that controls things so people don’t walk everywhere and tear it up,” Ball said.
Timeline for the Blackjack Road Wetlands Preserve
The city has no real cost estimates for the boardwalks as yet because the application deadline is not until September 2025.
Ball said having council members endorse the project helps engineering plan the grant application, cost shares, and other details.
“We want to get out ahead of it,” he told council.
“It’s a beautiful area. People need to see this,” Council President Bruce Hawkins said. “It’s one of the prettiest areas around; this is long overdue.”
He compared the Blackjack preserve to Sheedy Sanctuary in Morrow County, which has wetlands and raised boardwalks.
“They even have a tower where you can look down at at the wetlands,” Hawkins said. “It’s a beautiful park, and that’s kind of what this is.”
