GREEN, Ohio — There are 13 parks in Green and two of them, Boettler and Southgate, are now connected by the new Willadale Trail, which the city recently opened.
The approximate one-mile loop is more than just a spot for exercise seekers and nature lovers.
The trail came to life because of a settlement reached seven years ago over the controversial Nexus Gas Transmission pipeline project.
Along the trail, you can see and hear birds, frogs and other wildlife, stop to smell flowers, and enjoy the wetlands.
Green resident Bill Hartley has been taking it all in.
"It's just different. We've been walking around here for a long time. This is a good, big plus," Hartley said.
The trail features a wide, crushed limestone and paved path, a boardwalk across the wetlands, and scenic woodland views.
"It allows people who are birders, who are wildlife enthusiasts, to see the park in a new and different way," said Green Mayor Rocco Yeargin.
The trail may not have been built if not for the Nexus pipeline project that stirred up a lot of emotions and objections about ten years ago.
Many residents spoke out against the project and raised potential safety concerns after it was revealed that about eight miles of the 255-mile-long pipeline would run through Green and 17 of the city's 26 ball fields.
However, in February of 2018, city council voted 4-3 to approve the pipeline and accept a settlement agreement.
"Frankly, it was something difficult for our community, but the writing was on the wall and the prior mayor had no choice," Yeargin said.
As part of the deal, Nexus gave Green $7.5 million. Much of that money went towards supporting safety forces, including purchasing new fire trucks.
In addition, Nexus, which had acquired about 20 acres near Boettler and Southgate Parks, gave that land to Green. That enabled the city to construct the Willadale Trail over the last year.
Yeargin said most of the cost of the trail was covered by a state grant.
"We're the City of Green and so we made the most of all of the green opportunities that it afforded to us, and we're gonna continue to do that," said Sarah Haring, the community development administrator.
In addition to gaining the property and trail access from Koons Road, the acreage deal from Nexus allowed Green to obtain a larger section of wetlands and help preserve them.
"That's part of what make a community resilient is taking adverse circumstances and turning them into something beneficial," Yeargin said.
Yeargin said the city is exploring ways to build other trails and possibly connect them to other parks, but for now, he's hoping residents and visitors will enjoy the Willadale Trail as we head towards summer.
"This is a way to attract people to our community in a location that already has great reasons to come to Green."
