A boat glides across Griggs reservoir in the beautiful afternoon sunlight. But, residents are that the peaceful scene is threatened by a proposed $4,000,000, 11,000 square foot boathouse for Ohio State University's women's rowing team. It is set to go up on the western edge of the reservoir in Duranceau Park. Katie Shatow has lived here for 6 years. She says the decade-long effort to stop the boathouse included dozens of residents who launched a "Save Our Park" campaign and many meeting with attorneys.
"I have no clue as to why they would take the most picturesque landscape of the park, the heart of the park. And do this to it." Says Shatow.
O-S-U will pay for the facility and the women's rowing coach , Andrew Titlebaum says everyone will benefit.
"There's nothing that's going to restrict people's ability to access the areas by the building. Its actually going to give handicapped access to the riverbank there that doesn't currently exist." Says Titlebaum.
Director of Columbus Parks and Recreation, Allen McKnight, says residents will see the same amount of traffic and will still be able to walk their dogs, plat at the park, and use the boathouse.
"We've got a facility there that the rowers row out of that we'd like to re-use for our day camp programs. This provides a better home for the rowing programs. It provides opportunities for the community to use the facility as a rental facility." Says McKnight.
The boathouse is scheduled to open by 2012. Debbie Holmes, WOSU News.
