Three entities connect on public pathway project in Sandusky

SANDUSKY — Three organizations connected with one another to develop a multipurpose recreational waterfront pathway.The entities — those representing Sandusky's government, Erie MetroParks and Cedar Fair — teamed up to develop a nature trail encircling a 27-acre section off Cleveland Road (U.S. 6) and abutting Sandusky Bay near the area's new youth athletic complex, Sports Force Parks at Cedar Point Sports Center.During Monday's city commission meeting, they all committed money to fund a $160,000 planning process for drawing up a proposed pathway.Planners won't finalize a design for the trail, formally called "The Landing," until sometime this fall.Several other unknowns exist, including project costs and construction timelines.In a perfect world, this proposed public passageway — catering to walkers, bicyclists and other non-motorized traffic — would link up with the Sandusky Bay Pathway, an incomplete trail network primarily snaking through downtown Sandusky.Local officials always envisioned the pathway stretching from Sandusky's western edge off Venice Road to Cleveland Road just before Huron Township."This collaborative conceptual design approach could take the Sandusky Bay Pathway to the next level by creating a hub for other amenities related to active transportation, like bird watching and paddle sports," city engineer Aaron Klein said.The project stakeholders also want to develop a park near the back bay.Before any plans turn concrete, city officials vowed to host public forums in hopes of soliciting public feedback on the project."The discussions with the community will revolve around what activities they are interested in that are not available throughout the community at this time," Klein said.An overhead image shows the area, shaded in purple, where planners will determine the feasibility of developing a multipurpose recreational waterfront pathway abutting Sandusky Bay near the area's new youth athletic complex, Sports Force Parks at Cedar Point Sports Center. The planners will also examine connecting this area with the Sandusky Bay Pathway, a trail network located just east of the "phase 1" study area. Trail talkA stakeholder from all three organizations spoke on the importance of a proposed pathway encircling a 27-acre section abutting Sandusky Bay near the area's new youth athletic complex, Sports Force Parks at Cedar Point Sports Center:• Sandusky engineer Aaron Klein: We'd like it to be set up as a hub for active transportation, which would not be limited to the bike path or birding platforms. Hopefully, this site would provide access to active transportation within the bay as well, such as canoeing, kayaking, paddle boarding, etc.• Erie MetroParks executive director Amy Bowman-Moore: Erie MetroParks hopes this collaboration will provide trails and scenic areas for the public to explore while visiting or living in Erie County.• Cedar Fair's executive vice president and general counsel Duff Milkie: I want to emphasize the importance of this being a community builder. We want to activate the land that is up against the bay. We want to make sure it would be an active space that would allow for natural recreation and interaction with nature. Making sense of the dollars and centsThe planning process for designing a multipurpose recreational pathway near Sports Force Parks at Cedar Point Sports Center totals $160,000, broken down by:• $60,000: coming from public funds through Sandusky's budget• $50,000: coming from public funds through Erie MetroParks' budget• $50,000: coming from private funds through Cedar FairSource: Sandusky engineering department Reach reporter Andy Ouriel at ouriel@sanduskyregister.com and follow him on Twitter @AndyOuriel.Three organizations teamed up to develop a nature trail, which will be located off Cleveland Road (U.S. 6) and encircle a 27-acre section abutting Sandusky Bay near the area's new youth athletic complex, Sports Force Parks at Cedar Point Sports Center.