Bath Township, Summit County, Ohio

“Bath Parks”
Bath Township, Summit County, Ohio
Population: 10,000
Square Mileage: 23 Square Miles
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Bath Community Activity Center (BCAC)
1615 N Cleveland-Massillon Rd.
Bath Baseball Park (BBP)4600 Everett Rd.
Bath Hill Park (BHP) 763 N. Revere Rd.
Bath Nature Preserve (BNP) 4160 Ira Rd.
Bath Community Activity Center
History
1960 BVS approached trustees for a
recreation center and public park
 1967 0.5 mill levy was defeated to purchase
land for a park district
 1969 trustees used inheritance tax to
purchase 41 acres on Cleveland-Massillon Rd.
for a town hall site and playfields
 Trustees developed Bath Community Activity
Center with 4 baseball fields, 4 tennis courts,
1 soccer/football field, ½ basketball court,
shelter, and 16 acres of wooded trails

Bath Community Activity Center before 1997
Bath Community Activity Center prior to 1997
Bath Community
Activity Center
prior to 1997
Bath Community
Activity Center (BCAC)
1997 converted to present park use
 1 football/lacrosse & 2 soccer fields, 2
volleyball courts, 4 tennis courts,
2 horseshoe pits, 1 basketball court
 2 playgrounds, shelter, picnic area,
concession stand, restroom, parking
 16 acres of woods with trails
 Built with donations and a NatureWorks
grant with a township match

…viewing
Chief
Logan at
Bath
Community
Activity
Center
…..enjoying the Butterfly Garden
at the Bath Community Activity Center
…..playing lacrosse, football, soccer at
Bath Community Activity Center
….watching a concert
at Bath Community Activity Center
....participating in Community Day
at Bath Community Activity Center
….running in the first
annual Steeplechase 2013
Bath Baseball Park (BBP)
 26.5
acres given to the Township in
1998 from Firestone Trace developer
 7 Little League and 1 adult field
 Playground, shelter, rest room, trail,
parking
 Boardwalk over wetland
 Built with donations and
NatureWorks grant with a township
match
…enjoying Family Fun Day at
Bath Baseball Park
..playing 1400 baseball games a year
at Bath Baseball Park
…eating at the shelter
and playground
at Bath Baseball Park
Bath Hill Park (BHP)
 Purchased
4 acres in 1979 to stop
annexation and 12 acres in 1999
 2 tennis courts, ½ basketball court,
activity field, trail
 Playground, picnic area, restrooms,
parking, 11 acres of woodland
 Built with a NatureWorks grant and a
township match
……….playing tennis,
basketball, and on the
playground at Bath Hill Park
….…walking the
neighborhood
trail at
Bath Hill Park
Bath Nature Preserve History
 1996
a 0.98 mill bond issue was passed
by 70% of voters to purchase land for
park purposes including a nature
preserve
 1996-97 Bath Township Comprehensive
Plan called for more active and passive
park space
 1996 township wide survey with 39%
response indicated need for green space
 1996-97 Bath Nature Preserve Master
Plan defined land to purchase for BNP
Bath Nature Preserve (BNP)
Purchased 404 acres in 1997-98
 Added 7 acres with a Clean Ohio
Conservation Grant in 2005
 2001- BNP opened to the public
 411 acres of woods, meadows, wetlands,
streams and lakes
 6 miles of multipurpose, equestrian and
nature trails
 2010-Bond issue paid off 7 years early
 Built with Transportation Enhancement and
Recreational Trails grants and township and
Summit County matches

………….hiking North Fork Trail
at the Bath Nature Preserve
……..taking in the
beauty at the Bath
Nature Preserve
…..sledding at
“Chillin’ on the
Hill”
at the
Bath Nature
Preserve
University of Akron
Field Station History
 1998-Letter
of Intent with the University
of Akron
 2002-Agreement with the University for
lease of 10 acres for a field station
 2004-The University bought lease for
Field Station good thru 2017
 2010-11 The township repaired Regal
Beagle as a meeting place
……learning at the
University of Akron
Field Station
at the Bath Nature Preserve
….meeting at the Regal Beagle
at the Bath Nature Preserve
…enjoying the annual
Fall into Nature event
since 2009
…….visiting the
Observation Deck
on Bath Pond
BNP Storm Water
Improvements
 Restored
2500 lf feet of Bath
Creek
 Restored 15 acres of Garden Bowl
Wetland Floodplain
 Continue restoring 12 acres of
Moore’s Chapel Wetland Floodplain
 Restoring 14 acres of the
Tamarack Bog
09-03-2013
10-31-2012
Garden Bowl Wetland Restoration
Moore’s Chapel Wetland Restoration
Photos taken by
 Bill
Funk
 Bill Snow
 Mike Rorar
 Pam Reitz
 Elaina Goodrich
Bath Township, Summit County, Ohio
Population: 10,000
Square Mileage: 23 Square Miles