East Liverpool Officials to Discuss Riverfront Trail and Wharf Projects

EAST LIVERPOOL, Ohio — A special city council meeting has been called for 6 p.m. Tuesday to consider legislation aimed at developing the Broadway Wharf and a riverfront bike trail in the city.

Council is expected to review a resolution requested by Mayor Greg Bricker authorizing him to file a $246,000 grant application with the Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association Regional Transportation Planning Organization Allocation Program.

The grant would be used for preliminary engineering, detailed design and environmental services connected to the riverfront trail project. The project would provide multimodal and active transportation access from the city’s sole public park/Ohio River access point between Broadway Wharf and the city’s downtown, according to the legislation.

The trail would serve residents, employees, business owners, students and visitors, and lead to key designations within the city such as the Carnegie Public Library, Kent State University-East Liverpool Campus, YMCA, Museum of Ceramics, the U.S. Post Office, Riverview Towers Apartments and employment center. According to the ordinance language, the trail would also provide critical non-motorized off-road access to pharmacies, retail stories, schools and residences in the downtown area, which is deemed important due to the lack of fixed route or day-of-service transit in the city.

In addition, the trail would entice visitors who arrive at the wharf by boat to walk or bicycle on the trail to the downtown area for dining, retail and cultural activities. The increased pedestrian traffic would benefit local businesses and provide community appeal for new residents and families to relocate to the area, according to the resolution.

The 4.67-mile-long East Liverpool Riverfront Trail will extend to the Pennsylvania state line, connect to the Ohio River Greenway and to the Great Ohio Lake-to-River Greenway Trail.

In addition to the resolution, council will be asked to consider an ordinance, also requested by Bricker, authorizing him to enter into an agreement with the Pittsburgh firm of Urban Design Associates Ltd. for professional services related to the Broadway Wharf project master plan and design.

The $60,000 fee for the firm’s work for six months will include the city forming a group (“the Client Team”) to work with Urban Design to develop the master plan.

According to the legislation, the Client Team will coordinate invitations and schedule all group and stakeholder meetings, provide all wharf programming, and provide a briefing that includes base material, development goals and overview of site infrastructure issues.

Urban Design will develop design principles that articulate a vision for the city to guide future efforts, according to the resolution. It will develop three basic alternative visions for review, ultimately providing a master plan with concept recommendations for properties downtown and a concept design for the Broadway Wharf.

According to council Clerk Patrick Scafide, the two pieces of legislation will be reviewed prior to the special council session by council’s finance/ordinance committee which meets at 3 p.m. Tuesday.

Both meetings are open to the public in council chambers at City Hall.

Pictured: The view of the Ohio River from the Broadway Wharf in East Liverpool.

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