A public meeting and brainstorming session was held in Putnam County Tuesday morning to discuss areas of greenspace that the Village of Ottawa now owns after tearing down flood-prone properties.
More than 25 public officials and residents of the village came out to talk about the 55 parcels of greenspace bought through flood mitigation. Most of the parcels are empty lots on the village's west end where homes once stood. The purpose of the meeting is to listen to the residents and hear what they would like the Village of Ottawa to do with the greenspace. Any development project has to meet numerous guidelines set forth by FEMA and the Ohio EMA as these areas of land will forever play a role in mitigating the damage that flooding can cause. Once ideas are gathered, officials will begin the organizing process.
There is no exact timeline for when any new buildings, parks, or other structures could fill these lots, but the interest in future projects is high.
