More sports fields available at Fairfield Twp. park this year

The Reigart fields are at 5701 Reigart Road.

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Enhancements to the Line Hill Mound area was part of the overall Rentschler Forest MetroPark Master Concept Plan established in 2016. The plan also called for improvements to the Reigart and Timberhill Activity areas.

Improvements at Line Hill Mound included the construction of the four natural grass practice fields, additional parking, a new pond, and a service road to Reigart Road.

The Rentschler Forest plan is part of an overall MetroParks plan to have a large park in each quadrant of Butler County.

“What we’re trying to do is build regional parks to provide the same types of amenities in the county,” said MetroParks Commissioner Greg Amend. “We have the land out there to do that.”

Amend said it’s important to make these improvements now because as the county continues to grow “you can’t afford to do all these things because the land gets too expensive.”

The Rentschler Forest concept plan improvements are paid for with earmarked money saved by the county parks service.

MetroParks receives some of its funding through a six-year levy passed in March 2016 that included a 0.5-mill renewal and a 0.2-mill increase. The levy generates roughly $5 million a year and is used mostly for park maintenance and staffing, but some of it is used for capital expenses and to leverage grant funding, Amend said.

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There are 4,500 acres of land within the county park system.

Reservations for the natural grass field at Rentschler Forest are available for one-time and daily use licenses for the spring season, which runs from April 15 to June 30. Information can be found line at www.YourMetroParks.net under the "Facility Reservations" tab and then selecting the"Other Sports Fields Locations" on the drop-down menu.

Butler County residents can also check on field availability at the MetroParks Administration Office by calling at 513-867-5835 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or email info@YourMetroParks.net.