‘No Mowing’ signs come to Erie’s west bayfront
You don’t have to stay off the grass, but cutting it is prohibited.
That’s the message on new signs put in place by the Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority on the bluffs near the intersection of Bayview and Lincoln avenues on the city’s west bayfront, overlooking Presque Isle Bay.
The signs, which state “No Mowing Beyond This Point,” were put in place in early June and are part of the Port Authority’s long-range plan for maintaining the bluffs overlooking the bay.
The Port Authority’s board of directors signed off on the new policy in August. It also aims to keep the bluffs free of trash and debris, stabilize the area in terms of erosion and help preserve waterfront views along the city’s shoreline.
More:Bluffs policy protects stability, views of Erie’s bayfront
More:Erie Port Authority study focuses on bayfront bluffs
“Those are the first of several we plan to put up,” said Brenda Sandberg, the Port Authority’s executive director. “We will be placing them in any areas where we need to implement a no-mow zone. This is one of the first steps of our new policy.”
The new Port Authority bluffs policy was created in relation to a $10,595 study of roughly 60 acres of Port Authority-owned bluff areas by Dahlkemper Landscape Architects & Contractors. The study looked at areas between Ravine Drive, on the west bayfront, to the foot of Lighthouse Street on the east bayfront.
Additional coverage:Take a picture: The big ‘Erie’ sign is now in place at Bayview Park’s waterfront bluff
Frequent tree pruning, the installation of new storm drains, and retaining walls are also part of the new policy. The policy also allows the Port Authority to give private property owners living near the bluffs the right to make certain landscape modifications as long as that work “promotes healthy vegetation” and stabilizes the bluffs to mitigate erosion.
The study was commissioned after complaints to the Port Authority by several bayfront neighborhood residents concerned that overgrown brush has obscured their views of the bay.
Ed Palattella:An Erie bayfront view worth saving
However, the no-mowing zones are necessary, Sandberg said, because in many areas the higher grass and plant life is crucial to keeping the bluffs stable.
Property owners living near the bluffs have cut high grass in the past, Sandberg said, and the authority wants to discourage the practice.
The new policy also involves keeping the bluffs free of debris and trash and leaving some native plants along the bluffs in place because they help stabilize the soil.
The Port Authority presently uses both its own employees and a private contractor to maintain the bluffs.
The bluffs study also examined potential future development in the bluff areas, such as new walkways; looked at public access issues; provided cost estimates for maintaining the existing vegetation and for restoration of bluffs and ravines along the shoreline; referenced areas where private residents have encroached on Port Authority property, and made suggestions regarding whether the Port Authority needs to change any maintenance practices on the bluffs.
Sandberg said that, as part of the plan, the Port Authority has also started removing some invasive plants along the bluffs. The authority also hopes to add additional security cameras and “no dumping” signs in some areas to discourage nearby homeowners from dumping yard waste over the bluffs, she said.
Residents of the area have urged the Port Authority to balance bluff stability with preserving bayfront views, which are enjoyed by Erie residents and visitors alike. Many have voiced opinions through the Facebook page Save the Bay View, which is followed by more than 350 people.
Opinion:Erie bayfront view worth saving
Erie Mayor Joe Schember supports the Port Authority’s plan. So does Kathy Wyrosdick, the city’s director of planning and neighborhood resources.
“It’s absolutely critical to have protection for the bluffs, and it’s one of the most important things the Port Authority could be doing right,” Wyrosdick said.
Read the bayfront bluffs study: https://bit.ly/3vXQKiK
The Port Authority’s new bluff maintenance standards/policy: https://bit.ly/35SzWzi
Contact Kevin Flowers at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @ETNflowers.
