I was born and raised in the Kamm’s Corners neighborhood of Cleveland’s Far West Side. Our family home (we still own it) is on Valleyview Avenue, off Rocky River Drive. At the western end of Valleyview was "The Valley" – known by others as the Rocky River Reservation of the Cleveland Metroparks.
So I could get my ass kicked one day on the streets and playgrounds of the Big City – and the next day disappear into The Valley to lick my wounds, never seeing a soul.
Or, I could golf at one of The Valley’s four 9-hole courses – the front and back 9 at Big Met, Little Met and Mastick Woods – within 5 minutes of my home. Or I could ride horses out of Lakewood Stables – across from Mastick Woods and at the bottom of Puritas Road Hill – on the miles of bridle trails snaking along the Rocky River.
Or, I could jog or stroll along those bridle trails and other Valley wildflower trails, bike trails, walking trails… Or, I could search for arrowheads at the ancient Indian warrior grounds on the ridge of Little Cedar Point.
Or, I could explore the ruins of Puritas Springs Park at the top of The Valley wall at Puritas Road Hill. Among other delights, that amusement park was the original home of Jungle Larry, and the site of the Cyclone – the baddest-ass roller-coaster ever known to man.
Or, I could picnic at the Lagoons, Mastick, Cottonwood… Or, amble around the Stinchcomb Memorial.
Or, I could winter camp with my Boy Scout Troop in Valley cabins at West Coho, Rockcliff Springs or Little Cedar Point – again, all within minutes of my home.
Or, I could cruise the Valley Parkway with buddies or a chick. Or bushwhack, or get bushwhacked (you figure it out).
The point is – The Valley was at the center of my life, of my existence. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without it.
Some context. Cleveland Metroparks – also known as the Emerald Necklace – was founded in 1917, and is the largest park district in Ohio. It includes 18 park reservations – of which the Rocky River Reservation, my “Valley,” is universally recognized as the crown jewel – and the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.
Together, these emeralds span 23,000 acres, include 330 miles of trails, five (5) nature preserves, eight (8) golf courses – some 9-hole and some 18-hole – more than 75 reservable facilities, and other high-quality park amenities.
Whew! But what is the value of this public investment?
Last week, a report was published by The Trust for Public Lands (TPL) entitled “The Economic Benefits of the Cleveland Metroparks.” It’s an update of a 2013 study – and analyzes “the significant economic benefits that the Cleveland Metroparks reservations, zoo, and trails provide to the community.”
In summary, the report finds that “Cleveland Metroparks enhances property values, reduces stormwater runoff, filters pollutants from the air, attracts visitors to the community, provides recreational opportunities for residents, contributes to the multimodal transportation network, improves community health and boosts economic development.”
As if that’s not enough, “these amenities support local jobs, increase spending at local businesses, decrease costs, and generate local tax revenue.”
Cleveland Metroparks is primarily funded by a Cuyahoga County-wide property tax – most recently renewed in November 2013. This initiative passed with about 70% of the vote, and will extend thru 2023. TPL reports in its study that there is a substantial return on this public investment:
·The reservations and trails of Metroparks raise the value of nearby homes by $155 million and increase property-tax revenues by $4.18 million per year;
·Metroparks provide stormwater protection in the amount of $20.4 million annually;
·The open spaces of the Emerald Necklace provide health benefits and reduce pollution-control costs by $8.09 per year;
·Metroparks generates $626 million in tourism spending;
·County residents receive an annual $64.6 million in recreational benefits – and avoid $160 million in medical costs – from use of the Emerald Necklace’s reservations and trails; and
·Recreational spending, along with tourist spending, associated with the Metroparks, supports 102 sporting goods stores that generate $170 million in sales and provide 924 jobs.
In an era of severe doubt about public investment, the story of the Metroparks’ stewardship offers a rewarding counterpoint.
It’s also Home Turf. So on a personal level, The Valley allowed me to take a road not usually afforded a City kid – “and that has made all the difference.”
