NEWS

Port Clinton awarded $20,000 grant for Waterworks Park

Jon Stinchcomb
Reporter

PORT CLINTON - The City of Port Clinton has been awarded a $20,000 grant for the planning of development at Waterworks Park.

On Friday, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources accepted the city's proposal for a coastal access plan at Waterworks Park. The money is provided as part of ODNR's Coastal Management Assistance Grants through the Ohio Coastal Management Program, which sets goals for preservation, development and restoration of the state's Lake Erie coast and watershed.

"Being awarded this grant is the next step in moving our city forward," Mayor Vince Leone said in a news release.

The grant money will be used to develop a plan for a boardwalk and dock at Waterworks Park. Development of the park has been a controversial issue, with many disagreeing on how to use such a valuable and scenic area where the Portage River meets Lake Erie.

Now with the planning dollars, Leone said, the city will move forward with the Washington Properties plan.

"As mayor I believe that our waterfront should be accessible to all of our citizens, which is why we moved forward to pursue grant money to plan a boardwalk and transient dockage to bring more people to the front doors of our downtown businesses," Leone said.

jstinchcom@gannett.com

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