Lorain's Oakwood, Central parks to get cameras, WiFi

LORAIN — Before the weather turns cold, Lorain's Oakwood and Central parks will sport security cameras and free Wi-Fi, the city's Building, Housing and Planning director hopes. BHP Director Max Upton told Council on Monday evening the city had been working with South East Security, the company Lorain Police uses, to have cameras and free WiFi at Oakwood and Central parks. The goal, he reiterated Friday afternoon, would be to eventually provide wireless internet throughout the city by placing transmitters on taller buildings like City Hall or Kennedy Plaza. "The system that we're putting in can be expandable," he said. "So if we look at kind of the high-rise apartment buildings, maybe the Health and Dentistry building, as long as they have clear sight line over the tree canopy it gives us the ability to then scale this Wi-Fi across the entire city." The camera network is separate from the Wi-Fi network, he said, and estimated both projects at both parks to cost about $275,000. Just under half of that will be paid using community development block grant funds initially allocated for a gazebo at Oakwood Park. The rest will be paid out of some CARES funds and CDBG allocations. "We know that we've got a lot of issues as it relates to internet access in some of the underserved neighborhoods in our city," he said. "What struck me is there's a picture that went viral of a couple of kids sitting in a Taco Bell parking lot doing their homework, so we're hoping by adding the security cameras kids can feel safe and unfortunately if a kid doesn't have internet access in their home they're at least able to go to a public park where they feel safe." The two parks are some of the largest in the city, outside of Lakeview Park, which is controlled in part by the county Metro Parks. Both have basketball courts. Security cameras will link into the network Lorain police already has in place in other areas, including Broadway, Upton said. The added security measures at South Lorain's Oakwood Park come just over a month after the shooting death of 14-year-old Denzyl Williams, who was shot while at the basketball courts. Information gathered at community forums in the wake of the teen's death highlighted the community's desire for added safety measures. The Wi-Fi will be available 24/7, though if it creates a problem in the area for Lorain police calls it can be shut off after dark, he said. It is unclear how far outside of each park internet access will extend. As school districts throughout the state moved online at the start of the pandemic, internet connectivity came under heavy scrutiny — and Lorain was not immune. Lorain Public Library provided hot spots, and several local school districts are working to provide internet access to students. Even the 2020 Census pushed for residents to complete the form online. According to data from the 2018 American Community Survey, only 65.5 percent of households in Lorain had broadband internet. "Internet access is unregulated, it's not treated as a public utility even though everyone and their mother can see that it's a utility because it's a necessity of life in the 21st century," Upton said. "That's what we're really trying to address. If we could get to a point where the city of Lorain could scale it's own WiFi network, we're definitely cooking with gas at that point." Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.