Bill would assist homeowners with coastal erosion

Lake County’s two state representatives are sponsoring a bill they say will give coastline property owners an additional option assisting in mitigating erosion or financing other improvements.

Reps. John Rogers, DMentor-on-the-Lake, and Ron Young, R-Leroy Township, say their legislation will enable residents with shoreline property an opportunity for the creation of a shoreline improvement project financed by a special improvement district or SID.

Those districts are created by initiating a petition. The process requires participation by 75 percent of the property owners of the proposed district, or 60 percent of the front footage. Once a petition has been circulated and signed by the needed number of property owners, it would then be subject to the approval of a municipality’s or township’s governing body. Property owners located within the district would then be subject to a levy for the repayment of funds necessary for the shoreline improvement project.

All shoreline improvement projects would be required to comply with current zoning, environmental and coastal management laws.

“The damage caused by erosion this year to properties along Lake Erie’s shoreline has been unusually severe,” Rogers said. “This, combined with the ongoing threat of continued damage, represents a significant cost to individual homeowners, their neighborhoods and lakeside communities. Our legislation gives property owners an additional tool to help them shore up their home fronts and investments that are at serious risk.”

Young added the legislation offers a chance for people to band together to save their property.

“Break walls and other shoreline protection systems are very expensive and often require high levels of government funding, approval and scrutiny,” Young said. “For these reasons, government entities usually fund these projects. Allowing citizens to voluntarily band together and structure a long-term funding stream (up to 30 years) to create a much needed shoreline protection system is long past due. It’s also important to note that 100 percent of all funds levied will be allocated to the project.”

The bill introduced June 20 is awaiting referral to a House committee for its initial hearings.