Medina has final meeting on July 31 for comments about waterfront plan

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 July 2019 at 6:03 pm

Photo by Tom Rivers: A boat is tied up in Medina’s Canal Basin this afternoon during a rainstorm.

MEDINA – A committee working on a plan to better utilize Medina’s waterfront will have a final meeting on July 31 before sending he plan to state.

The meeting will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the United Methodist Church, 11004 West Center St. The community is welcome to see the ideas from the Medina Local Waterfront Revitalization Program to improve the waterfront areas surrounding the Erie Canal, Glenwood Lake and Oak Orchard River.

Kathy Blackburn, the committee’s chairwoman, said the group wants an elevated platform near the Medina Waterfalls so the public can get a better view of that attraction. The platform would go from the towpath and extend north.

The LWRP will help Medina to pursue grant funding for that project and others, including trails, new lights on the canal bridges, streetscape enhancements, better signage at the four main entrances leading into the village, and façade improvements on the backs of buildings that face the canal.

The LWRP lists a goal for more rear-facing faces patios, outdoor dining and awnings.

“We want to facilitate gathering places,” Blackburn said today.

The committee said Gulf Street Park, Butts Park and State Street Park can all be enhanced. State Street Park, for example, can have a small area for ice skating and spots along the canal to tie up boats and launch kayaks.

The LWRP also wants to see more trees and landscaping at parks and public spaces by the waterfront.

The committee also wants to improve public parking, in particular the large municipal lot by Church Street and East Center Street. That lot could be improved with its layout and appearance, Blackburn said.

The Village of Medina was awarded a $37,500 state grant in December to develop the Local Waterfront Revitalization Program. Village officials say the LWRP is critical for developing a plan, both short-term and long-term, for the waterfront and also to help Medina pursue public and private investment for projects to make the waterfront and nearby areas more attractive.

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