Building on the vision established through the Marina Master Plan, the Conneaut Port Authority (CPA) retained ECT to lead the development of the Conneaut Coastal Resilience Plan. Expanding beyond the marina, this community-driven planning effort addressed the broader Lake Erie shoreline, integrating nature-based solutions to protect critical infrastructure, enhance habitat, improve public access, and strengthen the community’s resilience to future coastal hazards.
Recognizing that long-term resilience depends on broad community support and regional collaboration, ECT designed and facilitated an extensive public engagement process that brought together residents, local governments, resource agencies, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and other stakeholders to identify priorities and build consensus around future investments.
The planning process identified eleven priority coastal resilience projects throughout the community. For each project, the team completed feasibility assessments, conceptual designs, planning-level cost estimates, and evaluations of ecological, community, and economic benefits. Together, these projects create a comprehensive portfolio of implementation-ready opportunities that balance environmental restoration, infrastructure protection, recreation, and economic vitality.
The resulting Coastal Resilience Plan serves as a living roadmap that enables CPA and its partners—including the City of Conneaut, Conneaut Township Park, and Ashtabula Metroparks—to pursue funding for future engineering, permitting, final design, and construction. The project also included development of a comprehensive funding strategy and grant application support, helping CPA secure a subsequent award from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s National Coastal Resilience Fund (NCRF) to advance priority resilience projects into implementation.
By coupling technical planning with meaningful public engagement and strategic funding support, ECT delivered a practical, community-supported roadmap that positions the city of Conneaut to protect its Lake Erie shoreline while enhancing ecological health, public recreation, and long-term economic resilience.