A River Runs Through It

In my recent travels, I have been lucky enough to have visited several different towns and cities that have rivers as a hub of their community.

I was in Marietta a few weeks ago for work and was impressed by that community. It's a charming little town along the Ohio River and has built a nice business community around their college and the river.

Then most recently I was in Cincinnati (and Kentucky) and watched as another area utilized their natural resource to spawn business as well. My family and I went to the Cincinnati Aquarium, which is located in an Easton-like shopping center on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River.

In both cases, these communities have done something that Coshcoton has failed to do as of yet. They are utilizing a wonderful natural resource to build a business-friendly atmoshere where small businesses can thrive. Marietta, in particular, is not that different from the community of Coshocton. The businesses that are located on their Main Street could be transplanted and survive, if they have the traffic. And that's where the river comes in!

Several years ago there was a beginning of a discussion of creating a "River Walk" in Coshocton. I think we need to open that discussion back up in earnest. Done right, a River Walk could create a nice new reason to stop in Coshocton County. It could easily tie in with the trails at Lake Park, and could allow us to once again utilize this natural resource that we as a community have most often ignored.

At it's most complex, the River Walk could be a massive project including the drudging of the river to allow for larger boats, large concrete paths, and free standing structures. At it's simplest, the project could simply begin with a path...and see how it progresses.

I am not sure the best way to begin this project. But I am convinced it is a project that needs to begin.

What do you think? Please let me know your input on this!