Mentor City Council has signed off on a $1.2 million design contract to push ahead with shoreline protection planning at the Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve, setting the stage for a possible future construction package that could land on voters’ ballots.
The contract taps SmithGroup as the design consultant and passed on a tight 4-3 vote, with councilmembers Dowling, Brian Cook, Matthew Donovan, and Ray Kirchner in support and Sean Blake, John Krueger, and Charles Pinkerman opposed, according to Cleveland.com. Backers on council argued that moving into design now is key to competing for grant dollars and keeping shoreline options open at the preserve.
What the design work will cover
The $1.2 million agreement centers on engineering and design studies for roughly 6,000 feet of Lake Erie shoreline within the Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve, as part of a broader planning effort that city staff peg at about $3.5 million. Under the current scope, shoreline protection elements are expected to advance to a preliminary 30 percent design level, while trails, overlooks, and similar amenities will stay at a more conceptual stage until leaders decide whether to pull the trigger on construction. Project materials list SmithGroup and partner firms working alongside city staff on the design package, according to cityofmentor.com.
Price tag and how voters fit in
City officials have told local media that if Mentor proceeds to a full buildout, construction would likely land somewhere around $40 million, a level they say would require voter approval before the city takes on major long-term debt or other big capital commitments. Assistant City Manager Robert Fowler has said he expects any final construction request to be put in front of voters, and Councilman Sean Blake pressed during debate for direct public input before Mentor locks itself into a large-scale shoreline project.
Funding, approvals and near-term work
Some early-stage work is already covered. Council previously signed off on about $340,000 for due diligence investigations, backed in part by a Lake Erie Commission grant, and project documents reference a separate $1.75 million congressional design appropriation earmarked to support planning. Project presenters told council they are coordinating with federal agencies, including NOAA, on a preapproval track for the congressional funds and noted that reaching roughly 60 percent design typically strengthens both grant applications and any ballot-ready funding package, according to citizenportal.ai.
Local reaction and environmental concerns
Regional conservation and recreation advocates are urging the city to lean into nature-based techniques and to keep public access front and center as the drawings get more detailed. A local Surfrider chapter, organizing under the “Save Surfing at Mentor Lagoons” banner, has pressed planners to weigh how heavy shoreline armoring could reshape beaches, affect surf breaks, and change sediment flows. Community discussions and prior coverage have already highlighted the tension between hardening the shoreline and preserving more natural coastal processes, according to northernohio.surfrider.org.
Next up, design work will move forward under the new contract while the city keeps working on public outreach and grant coordination. Residents can share their views through city engagement efforts, and the Mentor Marsh master plan survey highlighted on cityofmentor.com, and officials say the resulting studies are expected to shape any future ballot language and construction timeline.
