Lodi Community Park reopens to public with bridge dedication

LODI — Lodi Community Park is open to the public again this Memorial Day weekend because of the park's new bridge. State, county and local officials took part in a bridge dedication for the new infrastructure on Friday morning. Lodi Mayor Rob Geissman said previously the park had a dilapidated concrete weir bridge, which was level with the water. Therefore, with larger storms occurring over the past 10 years, there was constantly water over the bridge. "A couple of years ago, we had an incident where there was a family reunion going on, and it was raining," he said. "The people that were here were stuck in the park, and our fire department had to actually take them up the hill. There's a little bit of a trail up a hill to remove them from the park." Several years ago, Lodi Village Council passed a resolution to spend up to $90,000 for a new bridge, Geissman said. "The village of Lodi is the oldest settlement in Medina County, and that tells you we have some of the oldest infrastructure as well," he said. The village then asked the county for critical infrastructure money and state Rep. Sharon Ray, R-Wadsworth, and state Sen. Mark Romanchuk, R-Ontario, to see if there was state capital funding available for the project, Geissman said. About $742,000 was received in total from both entities in 2022. "It's exciting because probably five or six years ago, I just didn't think it was possible because of the cost," he said. The new bridge is a raised steel bridge that aims to nearly eliminate hazards from flooding, stabilize riverbank erosion, give access to emergency vehicles and provide a pedestrian lane. Geissman said it turned out 10 times better than he expected. "(Councilwoman Patricia Graham) told me the other day, 'I didn't think I would live to see a new bridge in the park;' I'm glad you did," he said. "I just want to thank everybody that's here, and we're excited to get the park going this year." Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.