Facility Permit Request
Located on the campus of Pataskala City Hall and the Pataskala Police Station, and adjacent to the Conine Village neighborhood, this 9-acre park is a green retreat from the bustle of Broad Street. Recent improvements made possible through an ODNR NatureWorks grant make this hidden gem even more inviting for multiple generations, providing active outdoor pursuits as well as quiet time in nature. Karr Park is home to Pataskala’s new Community Garden program, which has already provided nutritious food for neighbors and will serve as a teaching garden for youth and adults interested in gardening. Through partnerships with the Licking County Master Gardeners and the Licking County Soil and Water Conservation District, native trees and wildflowers have been planted to enhance the park’s beauty and diversity.
Amenities currently available at Karr Park include:
Multi-generational fitness equipment area and functional fitness rig
Paved 600-foot walking path
2 Shelter houses with grills (1 with electricity)
Flush restrooms with rentals
Playground
Community Garden
Potential Improvements and Additions include:
Additional paths to connect all features of the park
Outdoor Education Location: ODNR Wild School Site potential
Refurbished volleyball facility
Additional native trees
Caring for Our Community at Karr Park
Pataskala’s William V. Karr Park has a long history of providing benefits to our community. Since William V. Karr donated this lovely patchwork of woods and field to the Village of Pataskala in 1985, this 9-acre park off Broad Street has become an oasis along a busy corridor. Today the park sits alongside Conine Village, a retirement community of some 60 residents who value the lovely greenery next door.
However, the old 600-foot asphalt walking path that traces a loop through the heart of the park has become cracked and uneven over time, and is no longer inviting for Conine Village residents and the Pataskala community to enjoy safe and healthy exercise. This well worn path is slated for improvements this spring that will not only restore its former appeal, but also make the park a hub for health and fitness enthusiasts. In addition to repaving, the path will feature outdoor fitness equipment stations. Work on these projects will begin in the spring with funding from a 2019 NatureWorks grant.
Last year, an old raised flower bed at the park was replaced with a series of ten raised garden beds, designed for easy access for planting and maintenance of a community vegetable patch. The idea is for healthy produce grown in the beds to be donated to neighbors in need of food assistance along with the local LEADS food pantry. Volunteers from Licking County Master Gardeners donated plants while the parks department cultivated the beds last summer, demonstrating how the program can work in the future.
Being able to offer a walking path and a fitness space for Conine Village residents as well as the broader community will help improve residents’ quality of life by increasing their physical activity, and enhance the multi-generational appeal of this park. The City of Pataskala is dedicated to making our community a healthier place, one individual at a time, by partnering with local professionals to understand all of our residents’ unique needs and to help provide exceptional, research-based programming for whole-person wellness solutions. Toward this end, the parks department began a health and wellness initiative called “The Movement” in 2019 to provide programs as well as infrastructure. Future grant funding could provide for outdoor walking group classes, fitness classes and wellness programs that will benefit the community, from our youth to our active seniors.
In addition to the path and garden beds, Karr Park offers two shelter houses with multiple large grills, playground equipment and restrooms. Karr Park is located at 621 West Broad Street, behind the Pataskala City Administration Building and Police Station.