Parks, Open Space and Recreation

Page 23:

vi) Waterfront

The Town of Evans has the unique opportunity to enjoy a long stretch of approximately 12 miles of Lake Erie shorefront. This waterfront area, considered the Town's jewel, adds a positive aspect to the overall quality of life in the Town, which many municipalities do not possess. Public access, perhaps the most important component to the success of waterfront development, is vital to the redevelopment and expansion of waterfront properties in Evans. While much of the available waterfront in the Town is located on private land, there are numerous opportunities for residents to take advantage of recreational amenities, scenic vistas, ecological and archaeological resources (Eighteen Mile Creek), historic features and the other valuable resources that the waterfront offers to the general public (see Maps 8 and 9). Over the past several years, recognition and management of important shoreline resources has been provided by many different Town committees and community organizations. The Sturgeon Point Marina Advisory Board, Lake Erie Beach Advisory Board, other Town departments, committees and boards, as well as County and State agencies, have provided the needed attention to the maintenance and development of Town-wide waterfront resources. Plans and guidelines have been established and followed in order to provide short-term strategy and long-range planning initiatives for the shorefront area (see 23 appendix for listing of reports). The two advisory boards provide consensus recommendations and establish priorities for waterfront projects and activities. For example, the Sturgeon Point Marina Advisory Board has recommended that the adjacent County owned lands be acquired for future recreational development.

The most important planning tool for the maintenance and improvement of the Town waterfront s the Town of Evans Local Wateifront Revitalization Program (LWRP) , which was adopted in October of 1986. The LWRP guides the proper use and management of the shorefront resources in the Town of Evans in accordance with a set of policies that reflect local conditions in the Town. This program was used as a reference for the update of the Comprehensive Plan. It is also important that once this plan is adopted, the LWRP should also be updated.

Improving overall access to the waterfront, which has become very important to the Town, is a primary focus of the Town of Evans L WRP. Access for recreation and other land uses on the waterfront is also one of the more important items for revitalization improvements. The Town contains a variety of Local, County and State owned lakefront properties, which occupy a significant amount of the shoreline from Eighteen Mile Creek to Evangola State Park. Six public parks provide access to Lake Erie including: Sturgeon Point Marina, Wendt Beach Park, Bennett Beach, Evans Town Park, Lake Erie Beach, and Evangola State Park. There are also several other public and private road-access points to the shoreline. Several recreation areas in the Town enhance the quality and importance of the waterfront, including private beach areas, boat launch facilities and areas that provide waterfront views (see Map 9). Public input has suggested that more local-oriented access is needed, especially near the Lake Erie Beach area, where there is a large concentration of residents.

Page 24

Other specific program policies set forth in the LWRP involve: the revitalization of deteriorated and under utilized portions of the waterfront; protection of significant fish and wildlife habitats; proper shoreline development to prevent flooding and erosion; the preservation of prime agricultural lands; and the protection and enhancement of water quality. Many of these issues are addressed in other portions of the Comprehensive Plan.

Regional plans for the waterfront, which include Evans and other surrounding municipalities, were once coordinated by the Horizons Waterfront Commission but now are handled by the Empire State Development Corporation. Any planning for new or redeveloped waterfront features in the Town is required to be in accordance with the policies of the LWRP. The Horizons Waterfront Commission Action Plan, prepared in May of 1991, outlined proposals for the Town's waterfront. However, in response to the continuous need for waterfront planning and improvements, the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC) has taken over the efforts of the Horizons Waterfront Commission, and will promote further regional planning initiatives for the waterfront, including the Evans shoreline. To date, the Town of Evans has benefited from one Horizons Waterfront Commission project, the development of the Lake Erie Beach Center.