The sledding hill at the Coventry Peace Park, November 2024
Sled riding at the Coventry Peace Park is a popular winter activity for residents of Cleveland Heights and surrounding communities. Not as big as Cain Park’s sledding hill off Taylor Road, the Peace Park hill nevertheless attracts crowds of kids and families each year attracted by not just the hill but the playground next to it. Add to that easy parking and plenty of restaurants close by for an after-sledding snack, and you have the makings of a perfect winter day.
This winter, however, will be a little different due to Heights Libraries’ comprehensive renovation of the Peace Park.
While the new playground, accessible sidewalks, and storybook loop are scheduled to open February 16, the sledding hill will remain cordoned off.
“We know how eager folks are to get back to sledding at the Peace Park, and we want to reassure everyone that the sledding hill will be back next year, the same size as before,” said Heights Libraries Director Nancy Levin. “But the hillside needs time for the grass to grow in and stabilize to prevent erosion and runoff of topsoil.”
This prevention of erosion in the excavated construction site at the Peace Park is called “over-winter stabilization,” and is necessary to ensure compliance with the Ohio Revised Code, Chapter 940, “Soil and Water Conservation Commission,” and with the Cuyahoga County Storm Management Plan.
The area will be reseeded in Spring 2025, and it is anticipated that the grass will be sufficiently established to allow for access by the end of May 2025, just in time for summer.