Back to nature

On a warm winter day, Stacey Rusher serves as a guide through what used to be the par three golf course at the former Brandywine Country Club. Through fields of dry brush, up leaf-covered hills and past resting geese, she arrives at the banks of the Cuyahoga River.

Rusher is the project manager for the land which was recently acquired by Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and she's taken community members on countless hikes like this one to show them why this old golf course should be part of the national park.

“This is just one of several but not very many great views of the Cuyahoga River where folks can actually get up close," Rusher said, "so our property runs along this bank and follows the railroad tracks up to Peninsula.”

Cuyahoga Valley National Park added the 198 acres of land overlooking the Cuyahoga River in December. The park took ownership of the former golf course from the nonprofit Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, which purchased it in 2021.

While overlooking the river, it’s easy to see why the Conservancy, a friends group that supports the national park, believes this land was destined to become part of the park.

“The land really speaks for itself," Conservancy President and CEO Deb Yandala said. "We’d get people out there, and they’d say, ‘Of course this should be part of the national park. What else would we want this to be?’”

But that’s the opposite of what some officials in surrounding Peninsula wanted to happen. When the land went on the market in 2019, Peninsula officials had hoped it would be purchased by a developer and become taxable land. Currently, about 60% of the village is owned by the national park or the Conservancy – and neither pays property taxes. The Conservancy does make donations to Peninsula, Yandala said, but it hasn't been enough to support the village.

Many residents of the village, though, opposed development. It was ultimately the right decision for the land to become part of the national park, Park Superintendent Lisa Petit said.

“We really felt that we heard the public outcry," Petit said, "and we feel very supported that we did the right thing in protecting this property and putting it back in the hands of the public.”

Stacey Rusher, director of park projects at the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, holds maps of the former Brandywine Country Club golf course property.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park took ownership of the former golf course from the nonprofit Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, which purchased it in 2021.

Stacey Rusher (left) and Jennifer Bako, marketing and communications director at the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, hike the former Brandywine golf course property on Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023.

Map by Anna Yantek / Ideastream Public Media, with satellite imagery via the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park

In recent years, many old golf courses in Northeast Ohio have been sold and developed, Petit said.

"Some of them have been developed into housing," she said, "and that was definitely the threat of that happening in this case."

Development of the golf course would not only have destroyed the property, but it also would have impacted the natural view from the Cuyahoga River, Rusher said.

"This view would not be available to you, and it would also impact the park user's view on the other side," Rusher said. "So you're now on the Towpath Trail looking at residents' backyards and/or parking lots and things like that that you don't want to be looking at. If you're on the river you appreciate this property being natural."

Since the Conservancy purchased the golf course in 2021, the park and the village have made amends, with Peninsula becoming a Cuyahoga Valley National Park Gateway Community last year. The park is looking to further support the village, Petit said.

“How can the national park actually help them with some of the critical issues like roads, road repair and maintenance?" Petit said.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park Superintendent Lisa Petit

Cuyahoga Valley National Park Superintendent Lisa Petit

Conservancy President and CEO Deb Yandala

Conservancy President and CEO Deb Yandala

The Conservancy is prioritizing the voices of Peninsula residents in deciding how the land will be used, Yandala said.

“We really believe that we are citizens of Peninsula now as well and really want their voices and their opinions," Yandala said.

Petit believes the success of both the village and the park is intertwined.

"The future of Peninsula is really important to the future of the park," Petit said.

That includes supporting the economic development of the village. The national park can be an economic driver for Peninsula, Rusher said.

"As we figure this all out, maybe sidewalks are a part to connect with the village of Peninsula so that you can spend some time here," Rusher said. "You can connect with the water here. You can connect with the village, whether it's shopping or eating or exploring the retail."

The 213-acre property doesn’t just include stunning access to the Cuyahoga River. It also connects to both the Towpath Trail and the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.

"Having these contiguous blocks is important to our habitat," Rusher said.

A steep hike leads to Rusher's favorite spot.

Remnants of the property's former life as a golf course are seen on Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023.

“This is another really good spot to stop and just listen, because you can’t hear anything. You don’t hear any of the traffic from 303," Rusher whispered. "We haven’t rounded the bend to hear Akron-Peninsula traffic or Truxell Road, so it’s really one of those nice places.”

Even in the middle of winter, the view overlooking a forested valley of trees is beautiful. Each season brings a new breathtaking view, Rusher said.

Although the plan for the land isn’t decided yet, Rusher can imagine what’s to come.

“Again, we just took the straight cut short right across the green here," Rusher said, "but I can imagine this at some point where there’s a wonderful hiking trail that loops the whole thing around the outside, comes along the river.”

Stacey Rusher, director of park projects at the Conservancy for the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, said she's taken community members on countless hikes around the former Brandywine golf course property.

Stacey Rusher, director of park projects at the Conservancy for the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, said she's taken community members on countless hikes around the former Brandywine golf course property.

The Conservancy is in the midst of gathering community feedback on what residents would like to do on the new park land, Yandala said.

“The kinds of things we’ve heard already is access to the river is really important. People would like to have a place to take kayaks out if they put in, say, up in Metro Parks, a place to take out," Yandala said. "Perhaps visitors’ services tied to river usage, and then perhaps some things like picnic shelters, picnic areas, grills.”

The Conservancy is keeping 15 acres of the property for its own programming. A friends group purchasing land for the national park is highly unusual, Petit said, but the Conservancy has stepped in to help before.

"In their past, they have first helped us with the purchase and renovation of what is now our Boston Mill visitor center," Petit said.

When the property went on the market, it became clear quickly that the asking price was more than the national park could swing, Petit said. That's when the Conservancy stepped in.

"At that time there were other parties interested in this property, and they [CVNP] simply could not move fast enough. We could. We could," Yandala said. "We had already in place a group of local citizens that had gathered on a monthly basis to talk about how to protect this property."

With the help of those citizens, local donations and repayable grants, the Conservancy was able to close on the property. But before anyone can enjoy it, the land needs to be remediated. As a golf course, the land was treated for decades with fungicides that included mercury.

Throughout the property, Rusher points out ways the land has changed since it ceased being a golf course — from tree saplings taking root near the river to streams eroding the concrete barriers meant to contain them.

“Mother Nature is reclaiming her property," Rusher said.

With remediation plans being finalized, Petit said, the new land will likely be open to the public this year.