Voters divided on Waterworks Park

Full March Primary Election ResultsElection Night Coverage from the Register Newsroom pfanner@sanduskyregister.comPORT CLINTONThe Waterworks Park vote was too close to call on Tuesday night.Port Clinton introduced Issue 1 on the March primary, which asked voters if the city should continue working with developer Mike Rose on Waterworks Park.The razor-thin margin of 881 voting yes, to 851 voting no, represents about a one percent difference, according to unofficial results.The 30-vote difference will likely force a recount.Absentee votes, among other tallies, still need to be counted."I'm really happy with the turnout and participation in this vote," Port Clinton councilwoman Beth Gillman said. "We wanted to gauge the opinions of the people. As you can see from the numbers, they're very passionate and divided about this issue."Developer controversyDeveloper Mike Rose, who owes millions of dollars to an Akron-based bank, is the city's developer of choice for Waterworks Park.Rose was recently ordered to repay more than $13 million in Medina County for business-related issues, according to a judgement entry."It's very eye-opening to see that almost half of the people who voted don't want the city to work with Rose," Port Clinton councilman Joel Freedman said.The advisory question plays no legal role in picking a developer. Officials used the question to gauge voters' opinions about the situation.Freedman was a guest during the Register's live election night coverage.He questioned other council members' support for Rose despite the embattled developer's financial situation.City officials and Rose appear to have several plans in the works for Waterworks Park. Some of those plans call for using more than the two-acre section mentioned in Tuesday's advisory question, Freedman said. Developers can't break ground at Waterworks Park, however, without voter approval during a general election.Issue 6 requires the city to seek approval from voters before selling or leasing any park land."I guess the best thing I can do is keep getting the facts out there for the people," Freedman said. "Hopefully council will eventually get it right."Waterworks Park• WHAT: An advisory question asking residents if they approve of the city of Port Clinton working with Harbor Front LLC, owned by Mike Rose, to develop a portion of Waterworks Park.• FOR: 881• AGAINST: 851According to unofficial results.Vote No and Vote Yes signs regarding Issue 1 line East Perry Street in Port Clinton on Tuesday afternoon. The vote, which focuses on Waterworks Park development, was too close to call on Tuesday night. A family of Port Clinton residents head in to their local precinct to vote during Tuesday's primary election in Ottawa County. Ivaylo Klimentov brings his older daughter Eva with him as he checks in to vote at one of the Port Clinton precincts on Tuesday afternoon. Tuesday was Klimentov's first time voting in a presidential election since he recently became a naturalized citizen of the United States. Rachel Klimentov and her youngest daughter Maya stand together in a voting booth as her husband Ivaylo Klimentov and oldest daughter Eva do the same in the next booth over on Tuesday afternoon at a voting precinct in Port Clinton. The Klimentov's wanted to involve their children in the voting process as they cast their ballots during Tuesday's primary election. Joel Freedman, a Port Clinton councilman, talks about the Waterworks Park issue on Tuesday. Several guests stopped into the Sandusky Register newsroom for interviews during Election night on Tuesday, March 15, 2016.