By Melanie Williamson
Brownhelm Township owns and cares for the Brownhelm Lakefront Park located at the northern most end of Woodside Avenue just East of Showse Park. More of a passive park, this small green space provided visitors with a calm and quiet vie of the lake. However, thanks to the efforts and donation of a local business owners, visitors can get a much closer view of the lake.
Bill Votruba, owner of BVC Erosion Control created a stone slope leading down the hillside. What was once a steep drop off is now a slope with wide stone steps. The mix of natural stone and concrete creates an interesting feature that is both usable and visually appealing.
Votruba first approach the Brownhelm Township trustees about the project several months ago and was granted permission from the trustees to do the work. Due to Votruba’s generosity, the project cost the township nothing.
At the Monday, September 5, Brownhelm Township meeting, it was discussed that in order for the township to grant public access to the beach, it must be ADA compliant, which it is not. In response to this concern, the township has ordered signs to say that there is no public access to the beach.
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