YOUR VIEW

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Metroparks has constructed a new section of the Olentangy Greenway Trail across their 43-acre Franklin County/City of Columbus property between State Route 315 and the Olentangy River at the Delaware County line, without the approval of City of Columbus officials.

This low-lying area has been described as Highly Disturbed Wetlands and recent high water was a reminder that more than ¼ of this new park property is either in the river or on the High Velocity Floodway, and cannot be legally filled.

An access road has now been constructed across these fragile Floodplains well to the south and further west from their approved plans; this new road is now extended more than 100 yards, in another direction, well beyond their City of Columbus permit. This road now lies exactly where their bikeway solution has been proposed.

There is now nowhere to continue this ill-conceived bikepath away from this Mertoparks site; Delaware County officials have not approved an extension north across their Olentangy Environment Control Center/sewage treatment facility, and there is no room to safely continue a bicycle trail south along SR315.

Clearly, this is Metroparks’ attempt to pressure area neighbors to accept a goofy bikeway to nowhere.

— Benjamin Knepper

Columbus

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