The Cincinnati Park Board didn't vote on a proposed new building at Burnet Woods Thursday because the foundation that wanted it withdrew its request.
The Camping and Education Foundation, with offices in Cincinnati and Minnesota, was proposing an 1,800-square foot building across from the Trailside Nature Center in the park and was supposed to detail its proposal in a Dec. 17 virtual park board meeting.
President of Preserve Burnet Woods Cynthia Duval had argued there is already a building the foundation could use and it's right across the street from the site it is proposing. "And we don't need to cut into a hillside and put in brand new buildings that have destructive impact on the habitat of the park when we've got a perfectly fine educational building," she says.
Duval was worried the Camping and Education Foundation would essentially have the rights to the building, which means lock and key.
Last week Park Board Spokesman Rocky Merz said,
"Since 2016, the Cincinnati Park Board has been in discussions with the Camping and Education Foundation (CEF) about ways to partner on a Burnet Woods Urban Wilderness project. At the December 17th Park Board meeting, a proposal will be presented to the Park Commissioners that includes developing an 1,800-square foot 'makerspace' workshop paid for, and to be used by, CEF as part of nature education and programing serving the Burnet Woods community."
Duval says this is the third proposal in the last five years, including a restaurant and the Clifton Arts Center, both of which failed.
"If everybody got what they wanted there would be three different buildings going in in addition to what's already there and it's not that big of a park," she says.
The Camping and Education Foundation did not respond to the original story.
This story was originally published Dec. 14 and has been updated.
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