City of Ravenna to buy Sunbeau Valley Farm

Sunbeau Valley Farm, long known as an event and equestrian venue, will soon have a new owner: the City of Ravenna.

After rejecting Ravenna’s Aug. 28 offer of $825,000, Kay and Don Viall, who own the 43-acre property, accepted the city’s $1,025,000 offer on Sept. 3. City council approved the higher figure during a special evening session Sept. 2.

The Vialls’ acceptance means the auction slated for Sept. 5 will not take place. However, auctioneer KIKO will still take its 10% fee, bringing Ravenna’s true outlay to $1,127,500, not including closing costs and other fees, council President Rob Kairis said.

According to the Aug. 28 and Sept. 2 ordinances, the city was moved to buy Sunbeau Valley Farm to preserve its historic significance and to provide space “for outdoor and indoor recreational activities, cultural events and community gatherings.”

A licensed real estate agent, Council Member Cheryl Wood said she assisted city leaders with communications, explaining details of real estate transactions and negotiations. She did not act in an official capacity, she said, calling the purchase a “huge asset for the city” that will allow it to maintain “green space” and grow parks and recreation opportunities.

“It’s such a huge part of Ravenna’s history,” she said.

The farm is located at 3229 Brady Lake Rd. but can easily be seen from state Route 59. It was long the site of Ravenna’s Balloon A-Fair, which recently relocated to the county fairgrounds.

Whether or not Balloon A-Fair will return to Sunbeau Valley remains unknown. The event is slated to take place at the county fairgrounds this year and next.

“Hopefully it’s just a temporary thing,” Council Member Amy Michael said. “It is a Ravenna event. It was started in Ravenna. It’s about Oak Rubber. We did not want to lose that.”

Ravenna Mayor Frank Seman also lauded council’s decision.

“There’s such a history with that place. Sunbeau Valley has its own aura about it. I’ve talked to a number of people who remember things they’ve done there. We want to enhance it and have more activities for our parks department. It’s going to be good for 100 years, I hope,” he said.

Michael also pointed to council’s desire not to see a housing development sprout on the property, and Kairis highlighted the Viall family’s wish that the land be preserved.

“We know they trust us in their baby of their property, and we’re just really, really, really excited. All of us want better for our residents, and land like that is not around anywhere. We do not have a location where people can come together,” Michael said.

Wood said she hopes people who board their horses at Sunbeau will remain. The city will look into grants and possibly work with non-profit organizations to add therapeutic riding or training programs to Ravenna’s parks and rec department offerings, she said.

Money for the purchase will be drawn from the city’s general and parks and recreation department’s capital improvement funds. No city programs or plans will be negatively impacted because of the purchase, Kairis said.