Clinton County is using $700,000 in state and local funds to develop the first Clinton County-owned regional park.
The county acquired the 42-acre Motz (pronounced "moats") County Park and its 15-acre lake in February 2007, and is working on a number of development projects to make the park attractive to local residents. This effort includes a massive universal access platform that will include unisex bathrooms, a special changing platform for those with spinal injuries, and a beach house storage space for all-terrain wheelchairs.
“Universal access is really going beyond the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and thinking outside of the box, coming up with development ideas that not only serve the disabled community, but everyone in a much more user-friendly manner,” says Jerry Jaloszynski, greenspace commission coordinator for Clinton County.
The county is also developing a swimming beach, two large group pavilions, a general picnic area, a pedestrian pathway, a parking lot and two shoreline-fishing platforms.
“We have a pretty dry county,” Jaloszynski says. “We do have Sleepy Hollow State Park, but it’s not the best for water contact because it’s weedy and murky This park has implications not only because it will provide additional water, but it’s clear water. That’s very attractive.”
Right now the county is working on designing and engineering the beach and park. Jaloszynski says the county hopes to have these developments ready for the 2009 swim season. Construction on the beach house is set to begin late next year.
Source: Jerry Jaloszynski, Clinton County
Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.
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