Work on the breakwall at Buffalo Harbor State Park looks as if it will soon be complete. Most of the planned features have been implemented, including a new gateway overlook, a new terminus overlook, and new fishing access points. This should be considered a “no brainer” project. Essentially, what was once simply a breakwall has become a destination for joggers, cyclists, and even people who like to fish. The main component (the wall) was already in place, which meant that there was a natural path to follow when it came to designing the walkway.
Views from the walkway are twofold. On one side is Lake Erie, looking onto Canada. The other side is a view onto Charlie’s Boat Yard and the Small Boat Harbor. Other items of interest include lots of lighting, two areas with steps leading down towards the water (for sitting or fishing – there is no real water access), a four ramp boat launch (would be a great dog park when boats aren’t being launched, but I didn’t say that), and stone benches.
The only real issue that I see with the site is the giant asphalt parking lot for vehicles with boat trailers. It would have been great to see designers use some sort of pavers or sturdy gravel instead of asphalt. Asphalt might be a cheap and easy solution for parking lots and walkways, but it can also be more expensive in the longterm, because asphalt doesn’t last as long when compared to concrete for example. Moreover, asphalt is just plan ugly, and environmentally unfriendly unless it’s permeable, which this probably isn’t. There is no reason that we should not be looking at green parking lots, roadways, trails, etc., in this day and age. After all, we have tossed around the idea.