Huge deal 'landed' for pathway

SANDUSKY — Local officials finally landed on a deal to complete a critical component of a massive waterfront pathway project. During a recent public meeting, city commissioners finalized a multimillion-dollar package to finance The Landing, a proposed 27-acre nature space behind Sports Force Parks on Cleveland Road (U.S. 6) in Sandusky's back bay. A nearly two-year-long construction project, work on The Landing should begin soon before its anticipated completion date of 2027. Making sense of the dollars and cents This specific section of the Sandusky Bay Pathway totals about $19.5 million with roughly: • $14.7 million from money generated by Sports Force Parks; Issue 8, which voters approved in 2014; and a parking tax, largely paid by visitors to Cedar Point • $3 million from a state grant • $1.3 million from various state grants tailored to trail development • $445,000 from businesses located on Cleveland Road (U.S. 6) by the sports center This figure is down from a previous estimate of about $24 million. Officials decided to scale down the size due to financial reasons. Most notably, money from the city's everyday operating budget — which subsidizes necessary services, like safety services, streets and recreation — won't provide a penny toward this project. A long time coming Planning for this project began largely in 2018. Officials stressed how it takes time to complete all tasks — acquisition, engineering, designing, securing funds and then building — in hopes of bringing this massive concept to fruition. "To me, this is one of the most complicated projects that I have ever worked on with all of the environmental stipulations, the wetlands, the funding and everything else that has gone into it," said city public works director Aaron Klein, who's taken the lead in overseeing its development. "And when you throw COVID into the middle of it, which delayed portions of it, it just made it more complicated." Beyond a bike path weaving through a frequently unexplored area of Sandusky, plans show crews building boat launches, a pavilion, a boardwalk, a playground and bridges. "It's just going to be such a unique park with trails and interaction with the native environment that it's going to be such a beautiful place and a gem for the residents for years to come," Klein said. John Orzech, the city manager, thanked Klein, state politicians and other city staff members for their diligence and never-give-up attitude on such an ambitious initiative. "People love nature, and getting to the waterfront, outlined in our strategic plan, is important for many people," Orzech said. "This is another part of achieving that goal of giving public waterfront access for our citizens and visitors." Speaking up The only two elected Sandusky city commissioners overseeing this development since Day 1 spoke about this project's impact and importance: "To say that The Landing project will be catalytic is an understatement. This project is a big as it gets. The commission and our staff never gave up on this vision. The benefits of this project will be realized for generations to come. This was made possible by the assistance from the state through our representative, D.J. Swearingen." — Dick Brady, ex officio mayor "Carving out a new waterfront park by a 207-year-old city is extraordinary and a capstone on city engineer Aaron Klein's tireless pursuit of the Sandusky Bay Pathway. The Landing park will be enjoyed by Sanduskians for generations to come. Like nearly all of Sandusky's successes over the last decade, this project is another testament to the power of planning, a commission devoted to a common vision, amazing staff and planning and construction partners of integrity and ability. Partnerships with Cedar Point and our state and federal representatives have been essential in funding and realizing what once looked almost fantastical." — Dennis Murray Jr. A look at The Landing By 2029, officials ideally want to create an uninterrupted 13-mile-long waterfront route, connecting Sandusky's west side to its east end, linking parks, piers, restaurants, hotels, businesses, wooded areas and more. The pathway's focal point revolves around The Landing. Here's how officials envision what it would look like: • The Landing not only incorporates elements of its natural environment but also introduces and invites locals to check out Sandusky's relatively uncharted waterfront region. For decades, it was owned by a privately run company: Griffing Sandusky Airport. • Though planners intertwined an aviation aspect into the project: A runway acts as a driveway, guiding people to areas in and around this space. • By many different modes — be it driving, walking, running, skateboarding or bicycling — people can reach this area. • When arriving, people can access various canoe/kayak/paddleboard spots. The back bay prohibits motorized boating traffic but encourages other modes of travel. • Plans do exist for commercial operations, selling food and drink, at a privately operated plaza leasing space from this public entity. • Walkable sections would branch off into east and west sections, all of which weave through natural habitats — such as phragmites, or tall grasses stretching upward of 9 feet tall — between Castaway Bay and Eagle Point MetroPark: • To the west, people can traverse through a twisting trail before reaching Castaway Crossing, a pedestrian-only bridge, clearing about 13 feet from current water levels and connecting two separated areas of land. * To the east, people can travel on a boardwalk and overlook areas, which provide unobstructed and unrivaled perspectives of Lake Erie. • While open to tourists, The Landing largely caters to those who call Sandusky, Erie County and the Firelands region home. Earlier plans did involve a massive lighthouse, known as The Point, but due to budgetary reasons, officials shelved this amenity for now. Piecing the pathway puzzle together Albeit segmented, the pathway totals about 4 miles today, which includes 2.2 uninterrupted miles. The unbroken portion mainly consists of a stretch from AMVETS Post 17 on Putnam Street to the Washington Street Pier and runs through many downtown areas. Once officials receive money to improve a certain area, they'll embark on that portion. In other words, they'll incrementally develop the pathway as land and then funding becomes available. Ideally, officials want to connect areas within and beyond Erie County, envisioning the pathway reaching 100 miles throughout Ohio. Just keep in mind how The Landing represents just one portion of the Sandusky Bay Pathway. Here's a look at other sections in the development and/or construction phases: • This year — The pathway should open from Cedar Point Drive to Hemminger Ditch through what's known as Castaway Crossing. • 2026 — The pathway should cross Hemminger Ditch to the sports center. Construction recently began on this portion. • 2026 — The pathway should connect Venice Road (U.S. 6) at Toft Dairy to Mills Street where it currently ends by AMVETS Park. The city continues to work with Norfolk Southern on designs to cross the railroad tracks. • 2026 — Construction on a pathway along a new Cedar Point Causeway will begin. There's no timetable for when work on the pathway could start or end. • 2026 — The pathway will weave through the Cove District between Meigs Street and Sycamore Line to Lockwood Avenue. • 2027 to 2028 — The pathway will be built along First Street. "We are continuing to build upon the existing pathway projects with the overarching goal being a pathway across the entire city for bicyclists and pedestrians to have views and access to our waterfront and connect all areas of the community together," Orzech said. Meanwhile, other related projects help complement the pathway's offerings, which would include it: • Linking with a planned, state-funded project for a bikepath spanning U.S. 6, linking Huron to Sandusky • Possibly connecting with where the former Old/Sandusky Bay Bridge once stood in Bay View; Port Clinton's government got a federal grant to study the possibility of building a bike path by reconstructing the bridge for non-motorized traffic. "The Sandusky Bay Pathway extension is a bold step toward creating a regional trail network that redefines how people experience our region," said Jeff Kerr, director of planning and policy for Greater Sandusky Partnership. Brady noted, in this scenario, patience has, thus far, paid off. "This project was presented as a 10- to 15-year process," Brady said. "Due to our staff's dogged determination and the financial assistance we have received on the state and federal levels, our residents and visitors will be enjoying this pathway much sooner."