Serving Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood Counties
The Village of Oak Harbor is taking another step toward revitalizing its downtown with a proposed Revitalization District (RD), aimed at assisting current business owners and enhancing opportunities for new development.
The resolution is currently under consideration by the Oak Harbor Village Council who plans to vote on the measure at next meeting on March 3.
A revitalization district - a designated geographic area targeted for focused economic development and revitalization efforts - assists in streamlining permitting processes including the creation of additional liquor permits for establishments such as restaurants.
In conjunction with other initiatives, such as supporting building owners with facade improvement programs and enhancing pedestrian safety, RDs help attract new businesses and investments, all with the goal of improving the community's overall quality of life.
Once approved, the Oak Harbor RD will also open the door for additional opportunities like a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA).
"This proposal represents an important opportunity for Oak Harbor to continue revitalizing its downtown while supporting existing businesses and attracting new ones," village administrator Jerry Buhrow said. "By simplifying processes and creating more flexibility, we're making the village a great place to open a business."
The proposed district consists of downtown Oak Harbor, including dining options, retail shops, service-based businesses, and professional offices, as well as a portion of the Portage River front – all of which only further supports the village's new Comprehensive Community Action Plan.
Oak Harbor mayor Quinton Babcock shared that residents asked the village to attract additional dining opportunities to downtown Oak Harbor. In 2022, the village placed an initiative on the ballot to remove Sunday sales restrictions imposed by state law, which was passed by around 75 percent of voters.
"Just a few years ago, if a restaurant wanted to open downtown, the state's liquor permit quota system would have deprived them of a favorable liquor permit and they would have had to spend five or ten thousand dollars to meet state-imposed requirements to sell wine or liquor on Sunday," Babcock said. "Now, we have paved the way for that restaurant to open without unneeded delay or expense."
Local business owners and residents are encouraged to share their input at any time.
"Our best ideas have come from our community members,” Babcock said. “If anyone has any ideas for improvement or cause for concern, we want to hear from them.”
Safe Routes resolution passes
The Oak Harbor village council passed a resolution in support of the Safe Routes to School plan at their latest meeting on Feb. 18.
The process included an earlier public comment meeting on Jan. 29, where the village and representatives from Reveille, a planning and economic development consulting business, met with citizens.
The plan will now move to ODOT, and Babcock is hopeful there won’t be any holdups on their end.
Once ODOT approves the city’s Safe Routes to School improvement objectives, the village will be eligible to apply for further grant money to implement the improvements.
Another idea Babcock has is creating a Safety Town, which is a miniature community where children learn about traffic safety. A nearby community that already has it is Bowling Green.
The next village council meeting is on March 3.
