WESTERVILLE – Preservation Parks of Delaware County announced Friday it has purchased an additional 21.549 acres to expand Char-Mar Ridge Park, 7741 Lewis Center Road, Westerville. The new property borders the Ohio to Erie Trail to the east along state Route 3 and is located to the south of Lewis Center Road, across from the park’s main entrance.
The purchase price was $775,874. This brings the park property to 150 acres.
Char-Mar Ridge Park opened in 2007 with 128 acres and 1.7 miles of trails with moderate elevation changes. Conceptual planning for the new property will begin next year and is anticipated to include additional gravel trails, connecter to the Ohio to Erie Trail, and a pedestrian connector to the current park entrance. No date is set for the opening of this new section.
“We’re excited to purchase this additional piece of property to expand Char-Mar Ridge Park,” said Tom Curtin, executive director of Preservation Parks. “This park has seen increased visitation, especially with the onset of COVID-19, and this new acreage will better accommodate a growing number of visitors in Genoa Township.”
Char-Mar Ridge Park’s current amenities include gravel trails and a natural play area. It is home to woodland, prairie, meadow, and water habitats, and it allows visitors to see a variety of wildlife at the blind overlooking the Hoover Reservoir Inlet.
“We will seed native grasses and flowers once the field is harvested this fall,” said Chris Roshon, natural resources manager at Preservation Parks. “Next spring, we will plant native trees and shrubs. We will also be evaluating the potential for restoring wetland sites within the field.”
This purchase brings the total Preservation Parks acreage of owned and managed land, including parks, trails and easements to 1,615.5 acres.
