Hot Waters to remain open

LORAIN — Hot Waters boat launch will remain open for the time being. Upgrades to the city's only free public boat launch are delayed due to material availability, Storm Water Manager Kathryn Golden said. The city plans to replace the 43-year-old boat ramps with new, aluminum gangways to replace the wooden ones there now, but the metal gangways are not readily available, Golden said. Originally, the launch was set to close after the July 4 holiday weekend. The city is breaking the project into two separate timelines — one for the work outside the water that includes a new traffic pattern and exit for the site, and another for the in-water work for the docks. That in-water work requires Hot Waters be dammed and the area drained of water for repairs to the concrete docks themselves. "We really wanted to get this done this year for the residents and users of the space, but the market pushed back," Golden said on Friday. "… There were issues with contractor scheduling, material availability — we were just being too robust in our timeline." The delay for the dock work will allow boaters to still use the launch this season until the city is notified otherwise. The project is now out to bid, again, after the first round of request for proposals failed to see any bids submitted due to the metal gangways being unavailable this season. The upgrades to Hot Waters are in part based on Huron's municipal boat launch, completed about 20 years ago. Huron's launch includes metal gangways to increase the durability of the launch. "As soon as we have a schedule, we will publish that schedule," Golden said, noting the full project scope, and its funding source — $1.6 million in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency funds — has not changed. Once complete, upgrades to the site will allow boaters easier launching of their vessels by giving them more room to pull trucks or SUVs forward to line up with the boat ramp before backing up; and allow for four boats to be launched at a time. There will also be a fish-cleaning station and restrooms paid for by a $600,000 Ohio Department of Natural Resources grant on the site nearby. Hot Waters will ultimately tie into the city's larger waterfront project that includes the former Brush Beryllium and Pellet Terminal sites and the Finger Piers. The Pellet Terminal upgrades, which will include a parking area for food trucks and outdoor seating for visitors, will be paid for from a $4 million congressional earmark, $4 million from the Ohio Department of Development and $1.7 million in local funds including American Rescue Plan Act funds. The Finger Piers — a popular fishing spot since their construction in the late 1940s — will be turned into mostly green space, with some handicapped-accessible and trailer parking on the eastern pier. They will also be fenced in, with areas designated for fishing. Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.