By Kristin Bednarski
Sun staff

Batavia Township trustees discussed progress on the shelter, playground and walking path for the community center at their March 4 meeting.

Administrator Rex Parsons said he was hoping to bring trustees plans for the shelter and playground, but he is still working on getting designs.

“Kenny and I have been diligently looking at playground designs,” Parsons said.

Parsons said they have visited several installed playgrounds to see the different designs available and what the designs feature.

He said they are looking for something that can be used by children in multiple age groups.

“We need to make something challenging but not too challenging,” Parsons said. “That is what we are looking at.”

Parsons said he is planning to bring designs to trustees at the April meeting.

“We are also looking at shelters as well,” Parsons said.

Parsons said $105,000 for a new shelter and a new playground was factored into the budget this year.

At the February meeting Parsons discussed a Nature Works Grant that is available through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Trustees passed a resolution at their March 4 meeting to allow Parsons to apply for the grant to fund, or partially fund, a walking trail at the community center.

Parsons said the trial would connect to the existing walking trail, and possibly to neighboring developments.

Parsons also discussed the opportunity to apply for a Community Development Block Grant.

“We can only use the grant for high, low-to-moderate income areas,” Parsons said.

Parsons said he was originally interested in applying for the grant to fund an emergency siren at a specific location in the township, but because the location is not in a high, the low-to-moderate income area it would not apply.

Trustees suggested applying for the grant to help fund the new shelter. Parsons said he could look into that, but he said the CDBG money would probably not be available this year.

“We are looking at the shelter this year, maybe we could look at tennis courts,” Trustee Randy Perry said about the grant opportunity.

Parsons said he would look into other options for Community Development Block Grant.

The next Batavia Township Trustee meeting will be 6 p.m. April 2 at the Batavia Township Community Center.