Conceptual Park Plans
The West Case Park team has been hard at work developing conceptual plans for the park based on site analysis, best practices, and public input. You can find a full public engagement summary by clicking here.
The team presented the conceptual plans at a public meeting on August 3, 2022. The short video below provides an overview of the materials presented at the public meeting. You can also click here to download a PDF of the materials. A description of each of the conceptual plans can be found below.
After watching the video below, please take a brief survey to share your thoughts on the conceptual plans.
About the Conceptual Plans
Option A Description
Option A features a more formal design that aims to minimize impact within the park’s core. The plan offers two distinctive entries onto site and provides improvements to West Case Road for safe and convenient access. These two entries connect via a loop road that connects visitors to critical on-site program while minimizing interior roadway development and helping to preserve key features and existing site character.
This option provides 3-4 acres of central West Case frontage for a future library site in the location of the existing red barn. The existing farmhouse is preserved on site and retrofit into an open-air pavilion that will be associated with an adjacent event center. The existing pole barns are also preserved and retrofit to provide space for a future Columbus Forestry outpost.
Onsite, the southern half of Slate Run is naturalized and replanted with native vegetation. Two detention ponds collect and manage site stormwater to mitigate downstream impacts. These water features are incorporated into the larger park experience through integration of decks, boardwalks, and outdoor education areas.
At the heart of the site, a multi-purpose field is sized to accommodate space for three full sized soccer fields, one cricket pitch, or countless picnickers and park visitors. Opportunities for play, nature play, outdoor education, and court sports surround the meadow. Native meadows surrounding the lawn help to preserve the existing site character, provide habitat for native wildlife, and create a quiet buffer between the park activities and the surrounding neighborhood. Mown meadow and paved trails provide pedestrian access through the meadows for all ages and abilities and connect visitors with the natural play area located in the southwestern corner of the site. Four linear hedgerows harken back to the site’s agricultural heritage while helping subdivide the park into smaller ‘rooms’ and create more diverse wildlife habitat.
Option B Description
Option B features a more organic, meandering design that references back to the site’s agricultural heritage. The plan offers a single, distinctive park entry onto the site, and provides improvements to West Case Road for safe and convenient access. The single roadway brings people into the center of the site, providing easy access to all park amenities. A second, separate entry along West Case Road provides access to a new Forestry Complex. Although this adds a curb cut along West Case, it also lightens the traffic demands along the main park drive.
Option B provides 3-4 acres of West Case Road frontage for a future library site adjacent to the existing woodland grove. The existing farmhouse is preserved on site and retrofit to accommodate small community gatherings. The red barn and silos are also preserved and retrofit for use as a flexible event space.
Onsite, the existing wetlands are maintained and enhanced with native wetland planting. An overwide stream channel offers a cost-effective and environmentally friendly way to naturalize Slate Run. The invasive vegetation currently surrounding the stream is cleared and the channel is replanted with native vegetation. A detention pond and wetland shelves collect and manage site stormwater to mitigate downstream impacts. These water features are incorporated into the larger park experience through integration of decks, boardwalks, and outdoor education areas.
At the heart of the site, a multi-purpose field is sized to accommodate space for three full sized soccer fields, one cricket pitch, or countless picnickers and park visitors. At the northern end of the lawn, a flexible community gathering space and sports courts offer diverse recreational experiences for park visitors. At the southern end of the lawn, a small event center provides a flexible plaza, lawn, and rentable space for individual and community gatherings. Native meadows surrounding the lawn help to preserve the existing site character, provide habitat for native wildlife, and create a quiet buffer between the park activities and the surrounding neighborhood. Mown meadow and paved trails provide pedestrian access through the meadows for all ages and abilities and connect visitors with the natural play area located in the southwestern corner of the site.