Belle Park Bathrooms Public Meeting is Monday, July 1

No action was taken at a public service meeting last Monday after a representative from the Lorain County MetroPark was unable to attend the meeting.

“Unfortunately, (Lorain County MetroPark Director) James Ziemnik was unable to be there,” Avon Lake Councilman Rob James, said. “There were some comments from the public, but we thought it would be a disservice to take action without hearing from Mr. Ziemnik.”

Ziemnik is expected to be at a now-scheduled public meeting on Monday, July 1,  beginning at 6:15 p.m. in the Engineering Conference Room at City Hall (first floor, room is to the left.)

The issue has become a hotly contested item in Avon Lake with proponents of a bathroom in Belle Road Park, allowing a facility for visitors to Kopf Family Reservation, a Lorain County Metropark.

Supporter including founding members who said a bathroom was part of the MetroPark plan since the park’s inception in the early 2000s. The park opened in 2008.

Terry and Diana Wyrock and Jan VanWagner, collected more than 2,000 signatures supporting bathrooms, on a petition they submitted to council and the mayor. Terry Wyrock and Jan VanWagner, were involved in helping the Kopf Reservation years ago. They said in April that bathrooms are a needed convenience and a sanitary issue.

At a November council meeting more than a dozen opponents spoke out, including one who called the concept “kind of creepy.” Opponents say bathrooms invite trouble and the park size doesn’t warrant them.

Last month, the Parks and Recreation Commission, which is a citizen advisory board, approved the bathrooms. James sits on the commission as the council representative, but did not vote, nor did the school board representative.