Serving Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood Counties
To the editor: Oregon’s draft master plan needs to return for major revisions. The cover’s train and water tower should be replaced with a biker, kayaker, worker, and farmer.
The overall document is generic and lackluster, failing to share Oregon’s rich heritage. It does not share the challenge of Oregon Township changing to a city and creating a ‘downtown.’
The plan misses mentioning the growing Oregon Jerusalem Historical Society, Oregon Community Theatre and more.
The survey that I completed never mentioned Oregon’s waterfront so of course few if anyone commented.
The ‘Lakeside Focus Area’ is inaccurate. First, we are Oregon on the Bay, meaning Maumee Bay. There is no lakeshore in Oregon. All Oregon shoreline is on Maumee Bay.
The “Lakeside Focus Area” is a small portion of Oregon’s 4.5-mile Maumee Bay shoreline. The “Lakeside Focus Area” includes residential property in north Oregon to Wynn Road with commercial development recommended, which makes no sense.
The “Lakeside Focus Area” includes the 500-acre dredge disposal facility with half to be used for dredge materials and the other half for recreation. But the Army Corps of Engineers is putting additional dredge materials in the future recreational area increasing the height by 20 feet.
The 500 acres in Maumee Bay is controlled by the Army Corps of Engineers and Port Authority. This bayside focus 500-acre area should include a recommendation for a comprehensive plan coordinating with the Army Corps and Port Authority.
The plan does not include the public shallow water dock/ramp. There is a need for a deeper dock/ramp for larger boats, which could be on the channel west of the 500-acre dredge area and coordinated with Harbor View Yacht Club.
The comprehensive plan does not include the University of Toledo’s Lake Erie Center. And there is no mention of the opportunity to have events timed with the incredible sunset at South Shore Park.
And lastly, the shoreline residential redevelopment continues with new homes replacing old adding value and desirability to the shoreline community.
I do not know if there are other parts of the Oregon master plan that are inaccurate like this one, but I do know these plans stay for many years, and it is important that the master plan helps to bring the community together for a better future including Oregon on the Bay’s forgotten shoreline community.
This letter is also being sent to Oregon officials. I encourage the Oregon shoreline community to review the plan and share your thoughts.
Sandy Bihn
Oregon
Editor’s Note: For any residents interested in submitting feedback on the city’s master plan, please visit: https://arcg.is/0eCaav0. The 0’s in the URL are the number zero. The 30-day public comment period ends July 25.
