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Parklands and Open Space

It all started with a selfless act by one Painesville landowner looking to share what he knew was a special piece of his personal property. Bill Wyman’s donation of 30 acres of his land at the confluence of Big Creek and the Grand River (now Helen Hazen Wyman Park) led to the creation of the Lake County Metropolitan Park District – now known as Lake Metroparks... click for entire story

What is a Conservation Easement?

A conservation easement is a legally binding agreement involving the transfer of certain rights within a property from the seller to the buyer. In the case of Lake Metroparks, the seller typically transfers the right to develop their property and alter its natural state to the park district. For example, a landowner may transfer to the park district the right to build structures on the property or the right to harvest timber from the property.

Conservation easements can be sold or donated, often depending on the financial and tax situation of the seller. They can also be tailored to fit specific circumstances of land use. For example, conservation easements can be written to allow continued agricultural operations.

It’s important to remember that the seller of the conservation easement continues to hold title to the land and typically retains the right to restrict access to the property and to use the property in ways that don’t conflict with the terms of the easement.

Lake Metroparks holds more than a dozen conservation easements ranging in size from 2 acres to 125 acres. For more information on conservation easements contact Steve Madewell or Vince Urbanski at (440) 639-7275.

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What is a Lease-Management Agreement?

Since 1974 Lake Metroparks has entered into a number of lease-management agreements with various state and local government agencies. These agreements effectively transfer management responsibility for specific parcels of open space to the park district for a given number of years. This allows the park district to employ its skills in land management and visitor service to open areas up to public access and make improvements.

Some of Lake Metroparks most popular parks are the result of lease-management agreements. Here are some examples:

Park	Leasing Agency
Arcola Creek Park	Lake County Commissioners
Chagrin River Park	City of Eastlake (western portion of park along Chagrin River)
Chapin Forest Reservation	Ohio Department of Natural Resources – Natural Areas and Preserves
Fairport Harbor Lakefront	Village of Fairport Harbor
Lakefront Lodge	City of Willowick
Painesville Township Park	Painesville Township Park Board
Veterans Park	City of Mentor, City of Mentor-on-the-Lake and the Mentor Board of Education

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Donation of Land

Lake Metroparks manages over 7,200 acres of land throughout Lake County in 36 distinct park areas. Some of our best parks acquired in full or in part through the incredible generosity of landowners who donated their property to the park district. Some examples include our first property, Helen Hazen Wyman Park, the Children’s Schoolhouse Nature Park, Hidden Valley Park and Mason’s Landing.

If you are interested in discussing the possibility of donating land to Lake Metroparks, please contact Steve Madewell at (440) 639-7275.

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