Cullen Park & "Visions of Cullen Park"
The launching place for Point Place, 4526 N. Summit St. Toledo, Ohio
The next Visions of Cullen Park meeting will be held Thursday, November 20, at 6:30 p.m., at CrossPoint Community Church on Onondaga off Lehman and 283rd Street. This change from the normal meeting date of the fourth Wednesday ofthe month is due to the Thanksgiving holiday. There will be a guest speaker. The meeting is open to the public.
The newly built kayak dock (and apparently fisherman’s dock) was installed Friday August 1st! A long 3-1/2 months of volunteers, laboring daily to provide this one of a kind kayak dock that has incorporated a boat slip, which will ease the access and exiting of kayaks, especially newer paddlers.
Volunteers were not only from Visions of Cullen Park, but also a team of NorthWest Ohio River Runner kayakers participated. The dock was built at a remote site along the Maumee River, provided by a local Point place businessman, who also provided/donated many hours of welding, structural material and even installed it for us!
The dock consisted of donated:
35 floats and steel side rails
over 1500 nuts and bolts
$1500 in cash donations
2 fabricated stainless steel hand rails
Walk ramp provided by City of Toledo
Over 400 man hours of volunteerism
The floating dock is 16′ by 20′, with the slip 3′ by 8′, which is connected to shore via 6′ wide and 24′ long walkway!
The Visions of Cullen Park, a subcommittee of the 501C3 Legacy Foundation, in a continuing effort to improve Cullen Park, decided with the surge in paddle sports in recent years, public accessibility for kayakers and canoers is very limited, especially in an area surrounded by water, For example, with Walbridge park being 8 miles upstream, HP Landing 6.5 miles on the Ottawa River and Maumee State Park 6 miles away all via water. Cullen Park makes paddling to Turtle Island, Wood tick point beach for example a short and simple jaunt for example.
This kayak dock is to replace the existing stationary wood structure that is about 3-5 feet above the water, thus not making it usable or safe for canoes or kayaks, more of just a fishing pier. The need is there- “Build and they will come”, Visions of Cullen Park built and we shall see them paddle! This dock will affect the economics of Point Place by bringing light to this undiscovered recreation area and to the many existing and new business in Point Place!
The new low setting floating dock was designed with canoes and kayaks in mind at 6” above water for safety and convenience of the paddler. (compared to 18-24” for power boats) The overall dimensions are 16 feet wide by 20 feet in depth. This dock provides a uniquely safer entering and exiting method for paddlers by means of a “Slip” in the center of the dock that measures 32” wide by 9’ deep, where by paddlers can “roll” out of a kayak or canoe, thus reducing that 90% chance of capsizing or rolling their craft that occurs at the dock. The dock is comprised of 35 floats held together by a steel welded frame work, covered by #1 pine decking that is pressure treated to resist rotting and moisture for these conditions.
The floating dock is connected to shore via a 24 foot long by 6 foot wide steel ramp which includes handrails. This used and slightly damaged walk ramp was provided to the Visions of Cullen Park by the City of Toledo Bridges and Streets & Harbors last fall. The ramp was repaired and completely revamped with new wood decking and a coat of epoxy paint.
The walk ramp is then mechanically secured to the existing sloped concrete ramp via 2 large custom fabricated pivot weldments, which are anchored in cement and reinforced with re-bar.
Volunteers from Visions of Cullen Park and the NorthWest Ohio River Runners (a Point Place based canoe and kayak group) have over 450 man hours in fabricating this dock and the refurbishing of the walk ramp by utilizing new and used donated materials. The goal Visions of Cullen Park was to build this for under $2,000 which has been successfully accomplished, due to the generosity of many donors of materials and dollars towards this project.
Statistics: 200 lbs of steel added for reinforcement, 1,600 nuts and bolts, 3.5 gallons of epoxy paint, 400 board feet of treated lumber, over 100 sticks of welding rod and the priceless hours of love for the community
Donors of money, material and of Labor
Wohleb Socie Co -Ken Socie Lost Peninsula Marina – Bill Tabbert
Brighten Best Bolts – Rick Finau Goggle Hardware
Harrison Marina – Don Smith Michael Pulhuj
Dave Zobler Len Syrek
Doug Danyko Gene Kidd
Jeff Jablonski Lance Weheir
Gary Eff Joseph Ravary
Bob Pulhuj, Visions of Cullen Park Project Coordinator
Meeting open to public all welcomed!
there will be up date on the progress of the Kayak dock project, and the closure of the park after labor day!
Don’t forget our next our next meeting is Wednesday 6:30 pm , June 25, 2014
http://www.13abc.com/story/25434268/birds-and-birders-flock-to-ohio
This month’s meeting will have information on the latest grant for the wet land area!
update and pictures on the progress of the Kayak dock.
On behalf of all of all the volunteers for Visions of Cullen Park, thank you, thank you to everyone who supported the benefit today. Debbie, Kellie, of Mother and Daughter Vintage Treasures and those who donated prizes, those who purchased tickets, those who bid on the silent auction or helped in any way. Please know the money will be spent wisely to help complete our many projects. We are appreciative!!!!!!
Our guest for January will be Bill Franklin, newly appointed Commissioner of Public services. Schedules permitting, Denny Garvin, Comm. of parks and Forestry and Dave Welch, Comm. of Streets, Harbors and Bridges will be on hand.
Also an update on the kayak dock design and cost, utilizing the donated flotation. The flotation was donated by Bill Tabbert of Lost Peninsula Marina and transported for storage to the Wohlleb-Socie Co, by Andy Socie.
