Council committee pitches public marina

Project would be at Miller Road Park

The Avon Lake Council Economic Development Committee proposed April 30 bringing a public marina to the city.

In a discussion on options for the development of Miller Road Park, Economic Development Committee Chair Zach Arnold floated the idea of a public marina and examining options for potential grant funding following a conversation with Economic Development Director Ted Esborn.

“Ted (Esborn) and I were talking about potentially making it some type of marina out there,” Arnold said. “That’s one of the options.

“But if it were public land, we would have access to more grant money than if it were privately owned.”

The project would become city’s first public marina building on the Avon Lake Boat Club and the Avon Lake Boat Launch at Miller Road Park.

In order to qualify for grants, the project would have to be completely open to the public including those residing outside of Avon Lake.

“I’ve always thought a sailing program would be fabulous,” said Ward 1 Councilman Rob James. “That has been my one thing I’ve been hopeful we could work out at Veterans Road Park.

“If we could ever get sailing in some area of Avon Lake, I think that’s consistent with the idea of a marina.”

Mayor Greg Zilka is supportive of the concept, but expressed some reservations about parking, concerns from residents living in the area and accompanying commercial development.

The area around the park presently is zoned residential with a portion of the land having been purchased with state and federal funds.

“A marina, that does give us opportunities to have more access to the lake and that’s something that’s viable,” Zilka said. “But if that includes restaurants and whatever, then you’re getting into an area that might not be in the best interests of the city in the long run.”

The city presently is considering updates to its zoning codes and comprehensive land-use and the mayor suggested getting feedback from professionals on potential future use of that part of the city.

“We do have the landuse plan proposal coming up,” Zilka said. “These are professionals who would be able to look at that area and make some creative suggestions for us and go well beyond what our imaginations can handle.”

Arnold stressed Miller Road Park development will involve a lot of discussion and the committee will continue to study the issue.

Ideas for potential lakefront development are coming at a time with the Lorain County Lakefront Connectivity Plan gaining steam, with a scheduled presentation by Environmental Design Group scheduled to take place May 2 at the Lorain County Commissioners meeting, according to an April 26 news release.

The plan involving Avon Lake and other Lorain county lakefront communities was completed with an $88,000 study mostly funded by Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency’s Transportation for Livable Communities Initiative.

The plan created designs for the communities of Avon Lake, Sheffield Lake, Vermilion and Lorain aiming at increasing economic activity and improving connectivity, the release said.

Zilka along with other lakefront mayors expressed support for the plan in reimagining what Lorain County lakefront communities could look like in the future.

“Our commitment to developing our lakefront has been strengthened by a joint study involving the stakeholder communities along our greatest asset, Lake Erie,” Zilka said. “It has given us a plan to guide us and a sense of direction to encourage us to make every effort to make Lake Erie more accessible to our residents.”

“A marina, that does give us opportunities to have more access to the lake and that’s something that’s viable. But if that includes restaurants and whatever, then you’re getting into an area that might not be in the best interests of the city in the long run.”

— Avon Lake Mayor Greg Zilka