Upland Sims Park Expansion

Planning and Development Menu

Description

The Upland Sims Park Expansion Project includes 5.33 acres including 550 linear feet of scenic Lake Erie shoreline. The property is significant due to its adjacency to the transformational Euclid Waterfront Improvement Project which established unprecedented public access to the lake through new beaches and ¾ mile multi-purpose ADA accessible trail. The City acquired the upland property in the Clean Ohio Conservation Fund’s FY2020 grant cycle and included a permanent conservation easement through the assistance of Western Reserve Land Conservancy. The property was formerly owned by an apartment development and management company and would have been at risk for private residential development. The City plans to utilize the property as a natural extension of the 32+ acre Sims Park, the City’s largest lakefront park, and it will be accessible from dawn to dusk daily. Improvements to the area could include installation of ADA accessible trails, seating along the bluff, and native plantings to attract pollinators like birds, insects, and butterflies. Additional Ohio Public Works Commission funding for future site improvements was received for implementation in 2023.

A public engagement and design workshop held on January 28^th, 2023 generated additional comments and considerations from residents regarding potential park and design amenities. The Planning Division began the workshop by debriefing on the project activities to-date, conservation and funding restrictions that relate to what amenities can or cannot be on-site, and recapping what feedback has been received and factored into current plans. Attendees then reviewed and amended the provided maps and design concepts while engaging in small group discussions that included fellow residents, neighbors, city staff, and city council members. These conversations, as well as the amended documents provided the Planning Division with valuable feedback regarding seating, trails, safety, and plantings while providing additional considerations related to current conditions and potential future programming. Received comments included:

Create a quiet, passive, and meditational garden space
Ensure a safe and secure space through adequate signage and bollards or gates at entry points
Include walking trails throughout wooded and grassy areas
Use natural materials for benches and landscaping
Support for traditional and swinging bench seating types
Enhance natural habitats and utilize native plantings
Use plantings as natural boundaries
Use low lighting, not overheads

Benefits

Enhance recreational linkages and accessibility to the City’s lakefront. In conjunction with the City’s innovative Waterfront Improvement Plan and Waterfront Phase III plan, the Project will provide the public with additional locations to view the area’s greatest natural resource, Lake Erie.
Restore native habitats and encourage biodiversity. Physical improvements include the rehabilitation of land and preservation of open, natural areas. The property is currently vacant, degraded, and contains invasive plant species. Restoration plans may include new turf and native prairie plantings.
Strengthen the property’s economic and community value. Potential future amenities include paved ADA accessible trails from existing paved trails into and throughout Sims Park and the installation of furniture including benches and trash receptacles.