The City of Rochester will hold a public meeting on Wednesday, July 24, about design concepts for a potential beach house at Durand Eastman Park and updates to the beach's Master Plan.
The meeting will be held at Camp Eastman Kusak Lodge in Irondequoit from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The public can also access this meeting via Zoom , the city stated in a press release.
What will the meeting cover?
According to the city, Wednesday's meeting will allow the public to view and provide input on design concepts for a new beach house on Durand Eastman Beach and updates to the beach's Master Plan.
The project's goal is to design a beach house that aligns with the 2007 Master Plan and offers permanent public swimming access. Currently, lifeguard and beach facilities are housed in a temporary storage container. The city aims to end this conditional permit and establish permanent access to Lake Ontario.
What is the Durand Eastman Beach Master Plan?
The Durand Eastman Beach Master Plan was created and last updated in 2007 to identify key site improvements but only addressed the western half of the beach. The press release states that this updated plan will cover the entire beach and address topics including:
- Parking facilities
- Picnic shelters
- Grill locations
- Crosswalk and pedestrian improvements
- Site programming options
- Addition of minor site amenities
- Improvements to address drainage and erosion.
The project schedule listed on the city's website states that the final beach house design is expected in the spring of 2025, though construction depends on securing funding. Site improvements are expected to enter the construction phase in the fall of 2024 through spring 2025. According to the city, this schedule is not permanent and is subject to change.
Durand Eastman Park history
Durand Eastman Park is located on the shores of Lake Ontario, approximately five miles northeast of downtown Rochester. Dr. Henry Durand and George Eastman reportedly sold the land to the city, and it was formally dedicated in 1909.
Construction for the original beach house and public bathing beach was completed in 1919 on the eastern limits of the park. However, due to rising Lake Ontario levels, the beach was closed in 1949. It reopened in 1959 and closed again in 1966 because of pollution concerns from the city's combined sewer system, according to the city's website.
The city stated that it worked with the Monroe County Health Department in 2006 to obtain a conditional swimming beach permit and created the beach's Master Plan in 2007.
Durand Eastman Beach meeting: details, info
What: The city will hold a public meeting on Wednesday, July 24, to discuss updates to the Durand Eastman Beach Master Plan and a possible beach house.
Where: Camp Eastman Kusak Lodge in Irondequoit, 21 Camp Eastman Way, Rochester.
Zoom info: To access the meeting virtually, visit https://cityofrochester.zoom.us/j/84968978505 . (Zoom meeting ID: 849 6897 8505, passcode: 679064)
Hours: The meeting will be held in person and through Zoom from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
The city stated that input from the meeting will be accepted online through Wednesday, Aug. 7.
— Madison Scott is a journalist with the Democrat and Chronicle who edited our Weld Street Project and also did reporting for it. She has an interest in how the system helps or doesn't help families with missing loved ones . She can be reached at MDScott@gannett.com .
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Public invited to share input on plans for Durand Eastman beach
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