North Canton Weighs Land Swap With School District as Dogwood Pool’s Future Hangs in the Balance

America 250 Celebration

North Canton’s Fourth of July weekend is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious civic events the city has hosted in years. Tricia Ostertag, the city’s community and economic development specialist, presented a detailed overview of events planned under the America 250 banner.

On July 3, a movie screening of “Hamilton” will take place on the street in front of City Hall at 9 p.m., sponsored by the North Canton Public Library. Food trucks and children’s activities will accompany the outdoor screening, with a rain backup plan in place at the Civic Center ballroom.

July 4 kicks off with the YMCA race at 8 a.m., followed by the Jaycees parade at 10:30 a.m. Community members who wish to participate in the parade can register at starkjcs.org. At noon, a community picnic sponsored by the North Canton Rotary Club will feature a five-piece Canton Symphony Orchestra brass quintet performing from noon to 1 p.m.

At 1 p.m., local art historian M.J. Albacete will present “Lady Liberty: The Story Behind America’s Icon” inside City Hall, described as a preview of a longer presentation planned for later in the summer at the Civic Center.

Evening Festival

The evening festival runs from 5 to 9:30 p.m. along Main Street, closed from Charlotte to Backler Street. The event will feature 20 food trucks, five packaged food tents, seven nonprofits, and 26 maker spaces, all required to carry at least one Americana item. A kids zone on the Hoover lawn will include a bounce house, video game truck, and children’s activities hosted by nonprofits including Mission View.

Cover band Walk of Fame will headline the main stage, which is sponsored by the Patriot Project. The Canton Cars and Coffee Group will host a car show from 5 to 9:30 p.m.

A 17-minute drone show, sponsored by Diebold Nixdorf, will launch at 9:30 p.m. over the Hoover plant. Ostertag recommended viewing from Main Street facing east. The show is timed to music from the main stage. A rain date will be set for the following week if needed.

Chalk artists sponsored by Walsh University and a Revolutionary War encampment display by Marlboro volunteers, sponsored by the North Canton Lions, round out the festivities.

Additional America 250 Events

The North Canton Heritage Society will host a Revolutionary War encampment on June 27 at Price Park from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., including a cannon demonstration. On July 8 at 6 p.m., a live reading of the Declaration of Independence will take place at the Civic Center gazebo, added by the National Commission for America 250.

Ostertag also noted that veteran banners placed along city streets are drawing interest. Anyone wishing to purchase one should contact the Community and Economic Development office. The Herbert W. Cooper Foundation is serving as the title sponsor for the full America 250 year.

Land Swap and Dogwood Pool

First Reading Advances on Controversial Proposal

The longest and most emotionally charged discussion of the evening centered on Ordinance 25-2026, which would authorize Mayor Matthew Stroia to enter into a land exchange agreement with the North Canton City School District. Council voted unanimously to adopt the first reading, with two additional meetings scheduled before a final vote.

Under the proposal, the city would transfer approximately 4.6 acres of property, including the Dogwood Pool site, to the school district. In exchange, the city would receive more than 20 acres of school-owned land, including the former Orchard Hill School property and the former middle school site. No money would change hands. A provision in the agreement would allow the city to lease back the pool for $1 per year through at least 2029, preserving summer operations while a long-term plan is developed.

The Pool’s Condition

Parks Operations Manager Steve Schenck offered the most detailed public accounting to date of Dogwood Pool’s deteriorating infrastructure. The pool, built in 1971 and converted from concrete to a liner system in 2016, has required more than 30 liner repairs since 2020. Schenck said the current season began with no tears, but four new seams had opened within two weeks of opening.

The underground pump house presents additional concerns. A single 18-inch concrete column supporting the structure has four significant cracks. Equipment including recirculation pumps dates to the pool’s original construction, and replacement parts can be difficult to source. A primary recirculation pump recently had to be ordered from Germany at a cost exceeding $10,000.

The city estimates the pool loses roughly 80,000 gallons of water per day, compared to a normal evaporation rate of 5,000 to 8,000 gallons. City administration said the seasonal financial impact of that water loss and associated treatment and heating costs is approximately $150,000. The pool holds approximately 700,000 gallons.

Schenck said that pulling the liner and re-coating the concrete basin could potentially extend the pool’s life by up to 10 years at a cost of approximately $2 million, but that approach would not resolve the failing pump house infrastructure. A full rebuild was estimated at $10 million to $15 million, with city officials noting the cost would be roughly the same regardless of whether it is done at the current Seventh Street location or elsewhere.

Public Comment

Several residents addressed the council during the first public comment period, expressing a range of views on the land swap proposal.

One resident argued the pool’s construction quality rivals structures that have stood for centuries and questioned whether a modern splash pad facility would earn the same community loyalty. He contended that the city’s arguments for closure were internally inconsistent.

A second resident called for a comprehensive plan to be developed before any vote, raising questions about what would happen to the Arrowhead facility, how adjacent properties would be zoned, and what role the community would play in shaping the land’s future use.

A third resident acknowledged the pool’s value but suggested a modified approach: preserve Dogwood Pool within the land swap by directing some of the $50,000 demolition budget toward pool improvements, offering the former EMS building site to the school district for parking, and repurposing vacated middle school grounds for youth baseball and T-ball fields.

Council Discussion

Mayor Stroia framed the land swap as a once-in-a-generation opportunity, noting the city’s 6.4-square-mile footprint offers virtually no other land for development of this scale. He called the decision to swap straightforward, while acknowledging that what to do with the land afterward is the harder question.

Several council members echoed that sentiment while pressing for more data before a final vote. Questions focused on projected property values under various development scenarios, the feasibility of phasing Seventh Street improvements, and whether revenue from residential development could realistically help fund a new aquatic facility.

City administration presented preliminary cost estimates for the transaction, including title and legal fees in the range of $20,000 to $60,000. Street widening on the south side of Seventh Street between Park and Wise was estimated at $200,000 to $250,000 without grant funding. Full streetscaping from North Main to Wise, similar to the Charlotte and Main improvements, was estimated at $2 million to $2.5 million. A $2.5 million transportation grant request is currently pending in Congresswoman Emilia Sykes’ office. A safe route to school grant application is also pending with the Ohio Department of Transportation.

Conceptual development illustrations shown during the presentation drew criticism from some council members and public speakers, who said the imagery of potential housing on the land was premature and alarming to residents. Mayor Stroia clarified repeatedly that the illustrations were not proposals and that all future land use decisions would go through planning, zoning, and public hearing processes.

Council member Jeffry Stocker noted that pending state legislation in Columbus could limit how school districts are permitted to dispose of surplus property, potentially making this window time-sensitive.

Council is scheduled to meet again on June 22 for a committee of the whole session that will include the city’s parks and recreation master plan presentation from outside consultants, who have also completed an aquatic engineering evaluation of the pool.

Water and Sewer Rates

Five-Year Rate Structure Advances on First Reading

Council passed the first reading of Ordinance 24-2026, which would set water and sewer rates for the five-year period from January 2027 through December 2031. The restructured rates are designed to better separate fixed and variable costs, with the minimum bill covering fixed plant operating expenses and consumption charges reflecting variable treatment costs. Residents who use the lowest amounts of water, including many senior households, were described as the group most likely to see favorable impacts under the new structure. Commercial users would generally see increases. Annual rate adjustments of approximately 5% are built into the plan. Council requested that a visual showing capital improvement projections alongside rate-impact scenarios be presented at the next reading.

Sex Offender Park Ban

Ordinance Targeting Tier 3 Offenders Passes Under Emergency

Council unanimously passed Ordinance 27-2026 under suspension of rules, establishing a ban on the presence of Tier 3 registered sex offenders in city parks and park facilities. Council member Jamie McCleaster, who led the rules committee discussion, said the ordinance is proactive rather than reactive and is designed to give law enforcement an additional tool. Under the ordinance, officers who identify a registered offender in a park will issue a formal documented notice on first contact. A subsequent violation would be citable. No signage at park locations is required under the ordinance.

Dispatch Redundancy

City Approves Radio Console Purchase Under Emergency

Council approved Ordinance 28-2026 under suspension of rules, authorizing a $154,578 purchase of two HVAC Motorola radio consoles from Staley Technologies. The purchase will create a backup dispatch center at the city’s fire station, allowing operations to continue if City Hall is unavailable. Police Chief Ronald Bair cited a gas leak at City Hall last fall that left the department without a clear contingency location. Funding is already appropriated. Action was taken as an emergency because waiting until the June 22 meeting would have triggered a price increase of approximately $10,000.

Additional Business

Council adopted a 2026 appropriations amendment covering municipal road funds, KOTA program donations, and final-year C funding.

The meeting calendar was amended to add a regular council meeting on June 22, immediately following a committee of the whole session. No meeting will be held June 29. Additional meetings are scheduled for July 6 and July 13.

Council members recognized the recent groundbreaking for the new North Canton Fire Station and praised the North Canton Police Department and streets crew for rapid response to two large fallen tree limbs on Shepherd Street over the weekend.

Council member John Orr noted a donation of $750 to the fire station fund from an unspecified foundation and acknowledged the group’s continued community investment.

A resident from Woodrow Street Northwest requested a 25 mph speed limit sign be added near the Pittsburgh Avenue intersection, where the recently repaved road has drawn faster traffic. Council member Orr indicated the streets committee would look into the matter.

The Mayor’s Fishing Rodeo was highlighted by multiple council members as a community success, with several young participants taking home trophies.

Council member Pratt announced an upcoming youth bicycle safety event on July 18 at Zion Lutheran Church from 9 a.m. to noon, featuring helmet fittings, safety tips, challenges, and a bicycle raffle courtesy of the North Canton Moose.