Plan for Pleasant Grove pollinator park receives approval

A site development plan for a pollinator park in the Pleasant Grove neighborhood has been approved by the Columbus Plan Commission. The nearly two-and-a-half acre site is on the east side of Pleasant Grove between McKinley Avenue and Fifth Street.

The Columbus Parks and Recreation Department made the request in the hopes that this project will serve as the first of many pollinator parks throughout the city. The project will also make use of city-owned property that had been decimated by the flood of 2008.

Members of the plan commission had expressed concerns about parking in the area. There are concerns that the planned parking for the space will not be adequate. Planning Department staff determined that there would be seven parking spaces on the street, well within city guidelines for such a space. In addition, commission members asked for a painted “buffer” to discourage parking in front of nearby homes, as well as to improve safety in the area.

Parks officials say the pollinator park will be home to native vegetation that will attract bees, birds and butterflies. They add that the purpose of the park is to “provide a natural outdoor experience” for the neighborhood, as well as provide improved connectivity to the city’s People Trail system. In addition, the space is expected to include a marker noting the 2008 flood and the resilience of the community. The park will not have a playground, playing fields or outdoor lighting.