New Fisherman’s Park eyed for lower Niagara

Project would bring a 3,000 square-foot fishing pier

by Terry Duffy
Lewiston Porter Sentinel, December 24, 2004

As winter’s flurries continue to swirl over the lower Niagara, news comes of an expanded recreational offering for the area now being eyed by the town of Lewiston.

Councilman John Ceretto, who serves as the Lewiston Town Board’s liaison on recreational matters, reports he is currently exploring the possibility of establishing a town fisherman’s park on five acres of town-owned lands bordering the lower Niagara River across from the Lewiston Senior Center on Lower River and Pletcher roads.

“The Town is proposing to develop this property into a small park facility providing green space by the water as well as river front access for fishing activity,” Ceretto said. He added the idea is already gaining support from fishing and sporting interests in the area, including the Niagara River Anglers Association.

Ceretto, who submitted plans to state officials earlier this month, including the office of State Sen. George Maziarz, said the town’s improvement/tourism-enhancing project, whose estimated cost is pegged at $430,000, could see funding coming from a variety of sources from Albany. These include the possibility of grant monies from the New York State Environmental Protection Fund; the Niagara River Greenways Commission; whose formation and tourism development interest on area waterways was announced with great fanfare last fall by Gov. George Pataki; and the state Department of Environmental Conservation, which provides financial assistance to municipalities on such projects through its regulation of the State Environmental Bond Act. The town would also likely be contributing some funding to the project as well as covering the park’s maintenance, Ceretto said.

Town Property

The land under consideration borders Stella Niagara property to the south, Tennessee gas pipline access property to the north, and is wholly owned by the Town of Lewiston. It offers 250 feet of river frontage and measures 1,000 feet deep. The site had been formerly used as the town’s waste water treatment facility, whose operations have since relocated to the Town of Lewiston Water Pollution Control Center plant on Pletcher Road. Ceretto said the older treatment facility building still stands and is now being used by the Town of Lewiston Recreation Department for the storage of equipment.

“The Town is proposing to develop (this area) for fishing activities, picnic use, public open space and other passive recreational use,” Ceretto said. “Active uses such as boating and swimming are not included as part of this project.”

But a permanent wooden fishing dock, measuring 100 feet long by 50 feet wide and offering fishing and water enthusiasts 3,000 square feet of usable space is, according to conceptual plans released earlier. Ceretto said the project also calls for construction of permanent restroom facilities on the site along with two sheltered picnic areas with tables. A 10,000 square-foot parking area to accommodate 25 to 30 vehicles, road access improvements, land grading and a paved pathway connecting to the waterfront area are also part of the plan. Minor clearing of trees along the river shore and a re-grading of the banks to accommodate the dock area would be required as part of the project’s construction. And all park facilities would be designed to comply to Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines.

Win-win Proposition

Ceretto sees the fisherman park proposal as a win-win for the town, its residents and visitors to the area. While popular fishing areas already exist at such lower river sites as the dockside platform adjacent to the Niagara Power Authority’s Niagara Power Project property, the Lewiston docks along north Water Street in the Village of Lewiston, the fisherman’s pier at Joseph Davis State Park, the north-end docks in the village of Youngstown near Falkner Park, and at near the boat launch area at Fort Niagara State Park, no such offering currently exists in the Town of Lewiston proper for visitors and area residents.

As such the potential for a Fisherman Park brings with it a number of plusses for northern Lewiston, which is already experiencing changes in new and proposed developments.

Ceretto said the project would accent an existing and popular town bike path, running along lower River Road which connects the village of Lewiston to the village of Youngstown. And state officials have been discussing proposals over the years which could see a bike path connecting the city of Niagara Falls to the village of Lewiston and Youngstown areas.

Add to that the lower Niagara’s growing reputation as a renowned fishing and boating area and popular tourist destination, and one can understand Ceretto’s enthusiasm with the project.

“The river is a major asset to the town impacting tourism, transportation, residential development, recreational use and the environment,” said Ceretto.

At this writing the project is only on the drawing board and under consideration by state officials and funding agencies. Look for more on this proposal as news develops over coming months.