The city of Mentor, Ohio, has begun work on a $368,000 retaining wall along Mentor Beach Park. The project has been labeled an emergency by the city council, particularly near a city-owned pavilion that has received redevelopment interest.
According to ABC Cleveland, crews are installing 500 ft of erosion control measures along the Lake Erie shoreline. After removing large boulders, trees and a culvert earlier this week, crews now are installing a pathway to move additional equipment to the site. Next, they will install an armastone, a modular system composed of boulders and other large rocks, that will act as a retaining wall.
Additionally, a blanket-like material will be installed to prevent soil from washing away. Up to 3,000 cu yards of stone will be installed over 275 ft of shoreline between the lake and the pavilion. 120 ft of stone will be installed along the park’s eastern edge as well.
“The location of the park and them any people who frequent the park I’m sure will appreciate the work once it’s completed,” said Mentor-on-the-Lake Mayor David Eva. While the beach is in Eva’s city, it is owned by the city of Mentor.
While the Mentor city Council approved funding the project in October, the project is expected to be complete by February 2019, as reported by the News-Herald.
“It’s important because there’s not going to be any beach left. It’s just going to fade right away,” said Heather Barninger, a photographer who frequents the beach. “You have to take precautions to keep the beaches from eroding any more.”
