MANSFELD — On the evening of July 31, as the sun began to set in the sky, North Lake Park was bustling with activity. Kids dribbled basketballs on the small court, couples picnicked on benches near the pond and a few local plant enthusiasts joined Nicholas Copley, of Lionheart Medicinal Gardens, for his annual foraging walk along the park’s perimeter. However, the epicenter of park activity took place on the west end, near the location of the proposed dry dam.
Neighborhood residents, a few city councilmen, two police officers and representatives from the North End Community Improvement Collaboration (NECIC) gathered to listen to a presentation on the dam proposal by Mansfield City Engineer Bob Bianchi.
The meeting was hosted by the Friends of the North Lake Park and advertised on their Facebook page, according to group member Anna Durtschi.
“It’s no secret that downtown Mansfield has flooded many times,” Bianchi began the meeting.
He went on to explain how the dry dam would relocate the flood plain, which currently spans more than 106 acres of residential and commercial areas, to behind a controlled area—the dam.
Read more about the logistics and measurements of the dam here.
Holding the meeting at the proposed dam site provided a unique opportunity for Bianchi. He was able to translate the visuals from his poster presentation to the real landscape of North Lake Park.
For many of the meeting attendees this raised questions on how the dam would affect their park area.
“Will the place we are sitting be changed? What will happen to these trees and this parking area?” one citizen asked.
The dam, which will be at most 900 feet long and between 15 and 45 feet high in different places, will cut back on some of the green space on the park’s west end.
“We can’t save every tree, but we would try,” Bianchi said.
He added that in keeping with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources standards for structures like these, the area must be sufficiently cleared and leveled. Something as simple as a tree roots rotting can open up channels for water and affect the site, Bianchi said.
Although the dam will cut back on the park’s space, the area will still be able to function as a park. During the meeting, Bianchi and Durtschi even exchanged ideas how to incorporate the dam’s concrete spillway into the park, perhaps as an amphitheater-type setting.
“Something that would blend function with aesthetic and recreation,” Durtschi said.
Acquiring the green space for the dam would also mean that two families would be relocated. The cost of the acquired property and cost of relocation will be covered in the dam’s estimated $14.5 million payment plan.
Billy Saunders, whose family will need to relocate if the dam is built, attended the meeting. He said that the uncertainty of how much time he has left in his house is his main concern. The project is still in its proposal stage. It will likely be a few months before the projected is officially voted on by the city council and even longer until implementation can begin.
“I honestly feel there are no negatives…except losing our house. But if building this dam saves one life, it’s worth it, take our house,” Saunders said.
Saunders was referring to the disastrous flood that swept the Midwest in 2007 and the threats that unmitigated flood zones pose to many area residents, homes and businesses.
Currently, residents who rent or pay mortgages on their homes and businesses located in the flood zone are required to pay flood insurance to protect against risks and damages. These insurance costs can be extremely expensive.
“Most small businesses can’t afford flood insurance and so it discourages them from being downtown,” said Bianchi.
Though property owners will be required to pay a tax to fund the dam, their insurance costs will go way down. This will hopefully encourage more businesses to move into the downtown area.
“What we lose here versus what we gain downtown, it seems like a no-brainer to me,” said neighborhood resident Matthew Stanfield.
Stanfield said he believes that the cost is worth it, mentioning not only the immediate benefits of the removal of the flood zone but the benefits for future generations.
According to Bianchi, only direct contributors and beneficiaries will be a part of paying for the dam, a cost that will be added to their utility bills.
Nyshia Brooks, NECIC community organizer, said that her main concern was how this cost would impact residents. She also wondered if properties in Ontario, where Toubys Run actually begins, should also be contributing to the payment.
Bianchi encouraged her and other attendees to voice their concerns to their councilmen. He said that he plans to hold multiple meetings in the coming months with the hopes of educating the community and hearing their ideas and concerns before making any final adjustments to design and implementation plans.
Thea Crowley, the NECIC community organizer intern, said that she has been to three meetings about the dam so far.
She admitted that since her first experience learning of the dam, her opinion has changed.
“When I first heard (about the dam) my reaction was emotional, ‘they’re taking our parks’, but now I know and understand the benefits,” she said.
Crowley, who hopes to help the project by translating community concerns into action plans for city workers, encouraged community members to attend Bianchi’s talks and learn more about the dam. The next talk will be on Aug. 9, at the NECIC teaching garden on Blust Ave. The meeting will begin at 4 p.m.
