Call for Metroparks to manage Whiskey Island

Submitted by Marc Lefkowitz  |  Last edited May 21, 2007 - 3:11pm
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The following is an update on Whiskey Island which Ed Hauser provided in a mass email on May 18, 2007

Cuyahoga County Commissioners and Mayor Jackson Agree on the Future of Whiskey Island

After nine-years of debate, the county commissioners and the mayor have finally agreed on plans for Whiskey Island. They have "signed off" on the future plans of our Whiskey Island waterfront assets. Two years ago, the Cleveland Metroparks commissioners stated that the Metroparks will take control of the property when the Ohio & Erie Towpath Trail is completed to the Lake Erie waterfront at Whiskey Island.
 
Everyone agrees that the county’s parkland and marina along with the city’s historic Coast Guard Station should remain treasured public attractions for recreational, cultural and boating purposes. It’s time for these government entities to memorialize their intentions in writing with a Memorandum of Understanding and a Land Use Easement. This will assure the citizens of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, and Ohio that our Whiskey Island waterfront attractions will be held in trust for us, in perpetuity.
 
On April 19th, the county commissioners agreed to write a letter to ask the City of Cleveland and the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority to join the county to petition the Cleveland Metroparks Commissioners to acquire the county’s Whiskey Island properties. The county’s properties include Wendy Park, a 20-acre parkland, and Whiskey Island Marina, a 10-acre 500 recreational boat public access marina.

Below is a letter Ed Hauser wrote to support the county's effort to have the Cleveland Metroparks manage Whiskey Island 

August 10, 2006

To: Cleveland Metroparks — Honorable Board of Park Commissioners
David Whitehead, William J. Ryan, and Fred Rzepka
4101 Fulton Parkway
Cleveland, OH 44144

From: Ed Hauser
Chair, Friends of Whiskey Island
P.O. Box 519
Cleveland, OH 44107

Subject: Public letters of support, for the Cleveland Metroparks to acquire, manage and operate Cuyahoga County's Whiskey Island property, the City of Cleveland's historic Cleveland Harbor Coast Guard Station, and to extend the Ohio & Erie Canalway Towpath Trail to the Whiskey Island.

Dear Board of Park Commissioners:

On behalf of the Friends of Whiskey Island, I am pleased to present the Cleveland Metroparks Commissioners with over 1100 letters of support from the citizens of Cleveland, Ohio, and the United States of America. This is the first round of letters of support in an ongoing campaign to demonstrate that the citizens support the following:

We support the Cleveland Metroparks to conserve significant natural resources and enhance people's lives by providing safe, high quality outdoor education and recreation, as expressed in the Cleveland Metroparks mission statement.

We support the Cleveland Metroparks to acquire, manage and operate Cuyahoga County's public trust land on the Whiskey Island property, 60-acres of precious lakefront and riverfront land. The Whiskey Island property includes a 20-acre parkland, a 10-acre public access marina, and 30-acres of adjacent submerged lands of Lake Erie.

We support the Cleveland Metroparks to acquire, manage and operate the City of Cleveland's historic Cleveland Harbor Coast Guard Station and the public trust land on Whiskey Island. The Cleveland Harbor Coast Guard Station is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and a designated Cleveland Landmark.

We support the Cleveland Metroparks and its partners to extend the Ohio & Erie Canalway Towpath Trail to the Whiskey Island parkland and Cleveland Harbor Coast Guard Station- where our American Heritage River greets our Great Lake. The Ohio & Erie Canalway is a designated National Heritage Area.

Sincerely,

Ed Hauser