Recreation Commission Discusses Plans for Blossom Hill’s Future

The Brecksville Recreation Commission met Monday night to discuss Blossom Hill’s future.

The proposal is just in its first stages, but the vision for the master plan is substantial. The main features proposed by the group of citizens appointed to create a long-term plan for the area on Oakes Road include a 25-meter pool and a large field house with room for an indoor turf, rubberized floor and a walking path. The recommendation for the field house is that it be built with “as much flexibility as possible,” said Joe Kosek, the chairman of the Blossom Hill Facility Development Advisory Board.

The proposal also includes a dog park and a vegetable garden, as well as new fields, pavilions, playgrounds, and lots of parking.

Mayor Jerry N. Hruby also noted that the city would like to put a cemetery on part of the property.

The advisory board was charged with designing a long-term plan for the Blossom Hill facilities. That plan is now in front of the Recreation Commission, which will examine the ideas and incorporate feedback from the community. Their suggestions will then go to City Council.

“This is a long process,” Council President Greg Skaljac told the group after the presentation.

Earlier in the meeting, Skaljac reminded the commission and the audience that this is a long-term plan that council will be able to use as a guideline. There is no money in this year’s budget for any of the proposals, so nothing is likely to happen right away. And the plan could change.

The entire proposal is online, and the city is asking residents for feedback. The commission is planning to discuss different portions of the plan at its upcoming meetings, and interested residents are encouraged to share their thoughts in that venue, too. Questions submitted to the city in advance may also be discussed at those meetings.

Here’s the schedule that commission Chairman Brian Stucky proposed for the discussions:

• March: Field house
• April: Pool
• May: Other outdoor amenities, such as baseball and soccer fields, walkways, the dog park and the vegetable garden
• July: Financing the project

The Recreation Commission meets at 7:30 p.m. on the fourth Monday of every month in .

We’ll be looking further into the plan on Brecksville Patch, too. What parts of the plan are you most interested in? Tell us in the comments.