WARSAW — There were no fireworks or celebrations, but as of Tuesday, Kosciusko County now has its first county park.

That follows the county commissioners' approval of a deed transfer of a 1.8-acre area near the historic Chinworth Bridge along Old Road 30 West.

The property, now known as the Old Chinworth Bridge Trailhead Park, had previously been owned by the Kosciusko County Historical Society.

County Parks Board member Aggie Sweeney said it's a significant moment because the county can now improve the park and the historic Red Bridge.

The basics of a park have existed for years at what was a former rest area. Amenities include the Kiwanis Club pavilion, a kayak launch and a walking path that connects with the Chinworth Bridge Trailhead and the Lake City Greenway.

The first stretch of a newly constructed trail was completed last year and heads further west.

“With the river also running through it, it's a really wonderful opportunity for us to develop it into a park for even more uses,” Sweeney told the county commissioners Tuesday morning.

The commissioners also signed off on a plan to use $8,500 in EDIT money for a conceptual design needed as the county seeks grant money for improvements through the Community Amenities Program.

Slate Auto is expected to begin production later this year at the old RR Donnelley plant a quarter-mile to the east, and new pavement along that stretch of Old Road 30 was recently added.

“That park is really a gateway into Warsaw for anyone traveling along that road,” she said. “And as Visit Sitewe see how that side of Warsaw develops, we're anticipating a significant increase in jobs along that route and in that area. 

“It's pretty exciting,” she added.

The Friends of Trails, a volunteer group, has already started doing work to remove some of the invasive species and clean up the river shoreline.

The Kosciusko County Highway Department also has been tremendous in helping with that, Sweeney said.

The Kosciusko County Parks and Recreation Board was established by the county in 2022 with an understanding that any land improvements would be done with minimal expenses, and future plans seem to embrace that approach.

Much of the past work has relied on grant money.

Some of the planned improvements include:

• Establish a temporary restroom enclosure. 
• Expand the walkway that connects to the bridge over to the pavilion.
• Improve access for canoes or kayaks into the river.
• Improve lighting near the bridge.

“And we want to implement a long-term plan related to invasive plant and aggressive plant removal, both to shore up the shoreline along the river, but also to, in some places, open up the view to the river,” Sweeney said.

A view

[caption id="attachment_132605" align="aligncenter" width="854"] This map of the Chinworth Bridge Park area is from Beacon.[/caption]

Below is a chronological history of the Chinworth Bridge and some photos taken on Thursday by Dan Spalding, News Now Warsaw.

[gallery columns="1" size="full" ids="132601,132597,132598,132600"]

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