As Hermitage continues to develop Rodney White Olympic Park, city officials are also continuing to develop their comprehensive recreation plan to meet residents' needs.

"We completed the original master plan in 1996," said City Manager Gary Hinkson, referring to the comprehensive recreation plan. "Since then, we have implemented a good many recommendations in the plan, Rodney White Olympic park being just one of the plans we have implemented. Other priorities have come to the attention of the board and we felt an update of the plan was in order."

Some of the implementations included the hiring in 1998 of Ed Chess as Hermitage Parks and Recreation director in charge of the summer and year-round recreation program; and the addition of restrooms and improvements to the girls' softball field behind the high school, being done in conjunction with Hermitage school district.

"We want to continue partnering with the school and other recreation facilities in the city to benefit the Hermitage community as a whole in the most cost-effective way," Hinkson said.

Residents in the city can expect a survey in the mail in the next month or so to give feedback about recreation in their community as the city begins to update their recreation plan.

"I think it's not only important, it's critical that the public is involved. The commission wants to hear from the community in the way of recreation and recreation facilities. We need to know what the public wants," he said.

Hinkson and the commissioners think that an update of the plan was necessary with so many changes in the community in the past six years. He explained that the importance of the plan is not only to provide a "roadmap into the future," but to help with financing those plans through private, non-profit or state funding.

A $148,000 Department of Conservation and Natural Resources grant aided improvements to Highland Avenue Extension into the high school area and a trail system in Rodney White Olympic Park, and a $20,000 grant from the Department of Community and Economic Development assisted with the work on the girls' softball field.

Assistant City Manager Gary Gulla said that a total of about $300,000 worth of grants covered development in the Olympic Park over the past seven years, including the installation of a multi-purpose play field, the construction of a rear access drive that connects Highland Road Extension with the MCAR driveway running parallel to North Hermitage Road, and a play area for small children that also meets the needs of kids with special needs.

"We are going to look at all aspects of recreation in the community," Hinkson said. Some of the future possibilities include addressing the need for girls' softball facilities, and acquiring the adjacent National Guard armory and property in collaboration with the school district if the National Guard continues with its plans to relocate in the future.

"What I would hope is, by getting input from the community, that those areas that the community feels are a priority will be addressed," Hinkson said.

A public input meeting is scheduled for May 6 in Artman Elementary School.