Stark County's Osnaburg Township to get its first public park

OSNABURG TWP. – The township will get a park of its own — and it's going to be named Sukosd Park.

That much is known.

The rest of the details will be sorted out step-by-step. After all, officials in the nearly 213-year-old, 37-square-mile township don't have much experience building or operating a park.

This will be their first.

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"It's going to be a slow process; this is all new to us," said Randy Pero, president of the township's Board of Trustees.

The opportunity for a park wasn't planned. It was a surprise gift of sorts, courtesy of a woman named Elaine Sukosd and a legal trust she'd established two years prior to her death. It ensured that upon her death, her land — including 50 acres at 1600 Broadway Ave. NE — would be made available for a park..

The township got first dibs. And it accepted.

"We didn't know any of this until after she'd died," Pero said.

Who is Elaine Sukosd and why did she gift her land?

The 74-year-old Sukosd died on Feb. 6, 2020. Pero didn't know her personally. Neither did Charles Hall, the township's attorney whose worked on the deal, nor did Max Haupt, the attorney for her estate.

Sukosd's closest living relatives are a niece and nephew.

"But she was obviously a generous, civic-minded individual," Haupt said.

An obituary for Sukosd, which appeared in The Canton Repository, included an old black and white photo of her, wearing a hat. Details in the notice indicated she had "worked for RCA for many years and was the first female district manager they ever hired."

Stark County Probate Court records show Sukosd created the trust in 2018 and named Chase Bank as the trustee. Huntington National Bank agreed to take over the trust last year after her death.

Philip L. Francis, a vice president at Huntington who oversees the trust, did not return a phone call seeking comment for this story.

What's next for Sukosd Park?

In November, after meeting with Francis, township trustees agreed to proceed with a park project, to be named Sukosd Park, on the site. Earlier this month, the township's Board of Zoning Appeals approved conditional use permits, which were needed to place a park on the vacant farm land.

Pero said initial plans call for allowing the East Canton High cross country teams to run on the property. Future development will depend on obtaining grants and finding out what residents want.

Hall said he expects future public input sessions to determine whether it should be a passive green space type park, or if it should be a more active park, to include amenities such as ball fields.

Hall added the property will likely remain in the name of the trust under a long-term use agreement to ensure it remains a park forever.

Reach Tim at 330-580-8333 or tim.botos@cantonrep.com.

On Twitter: @tbotosREP