Plan to save wetland area weeks away from success

Roger Giesel, whose back yard backs up to 4 acres of wetlands in Mount Washington that neighbors have been tying to preserve, held up an aerial map of the property in April 2006. Enquirer file/Michael E. Keating

MOUNT WASHINGTON - The effort of a group of Mount Washington residents to preserve a 4-acre wetland could come to a successful conclusion in about two weeks.

A $20,000 grant from Cincinnati's Stormwater Management Utility - along with $38,000 previously raised by the group and a $140,000 state grant - will enable the Hillside Trust to purchase the property and begin restoring it.

"I would expect we'll close on the purchase in 10 days to two weeks," said Eric Russo, executive director of Hillside Trust. "The sooner we can close, the sooner we can do some initial improvements. The timing of the $20,000 from the city couldn't be better."

The property, which includes a wetlands area with a creek, abuts the yards of 17 homes and a condominium in a subdivision between Beechmont Avenue and Corbly Street.

Residents became concerned after Black Hawk Land Development LLC of Blue Ash bought the 4 acres in January 2006 for $120,000 with the intention of building 16 houses. They worried that the development would cause erosion, water runoff problems and traffic safety issues.

Black Hawk agreed to sell the property for $175,000, and then lowered the price this year to $165,000 to increase the residents' chances of raising enough money to buy it. The residents also have had to pay attorney fees and a monthly fee to preserve the right to purchase the land.

"We're excited," said Roger Geisel, whose back yard abuts the wetlands and who helped form the Mount Washington Wetlands Preservation Trust to raise funds for the property's purchase. "It's been a long journey."

The Hillside Trust and Cincinnati Parks Department plan to clean up and restore the wetlands and build walking paths so that schoolchildren and others have access to it.

The $20,000 boost from the Stormwater Management Utility, a division of the Metropolitan Sewer District, was an unexpected bonus. City officials had told the Mount Washington residents about two weeks ago that the city didn't have any money for the project.

Russo credited Councilwoman Leslie Ghiz with working to find the $20,000.

"We're extremely grateful," he said. "It came out of nowhere."

City Council is expected to officially approve the allocation later this month.

Ghiz said City Council will do everything it can to protect residential neighborhoods from developments that will harm them.

"This is the kind of thing that none of our neighborhoods should have to face," she said.

Reprinted from The Enquirer .