by David Miller

Loveland, Ohio – After readers read the story about the possibly that Loveland Canoe and Kayak may close because of being squeezed out by construction of a city parking lot, comments have poured in. It is difficult to read in any of the comments anything but for support for the local business. (Will Loveland Canoe and Kayak survive the progress in Historic Downtown Loveland?)

As you will read, residents are also not very happy with the size and scope of Loveland Station Apartments.

Below are reader comments, submitted here, and on Loveland Magazine’s Facebook page.

This article is making me furious. I hope city council behaves honorably…

The city needs to find a way to make this right. This is a great family with a thriving business that has become a part of what Loveland wants to be.

Oh I got immediately fumed when I started to read this. THESE PPL ARE REDICULOUS. Loveland is known for this place!

This is horrible! This must be rectified to the business owner’s satisfaction. They have been a wonderful corporate citizen in Loveland. The city needs to be fair to them!

Is there a meeting that we can attend about this?

Go to the next council meeting and voice your opinion. ..please don’t expect it to mean a thing. ..I’ve been to meetings where they do let you speak. ..it means NOTHING!

That’s horrible! Loveland Canoe & Kayak is one of our main attractions. A deal is a deal and the city should honor the agreement even if it was over a hand shake. EVERYONE including our city officials knew parking would be an issue, yet it’s being treated like an after thought. It would be wrong to punish small business owners who have been the life line to the development of downtown Loveland. Without them, what would our historic area look like? All the traffic they bring in….this shouldn’t even be a conversation. There will be many many upset residents if this were to happen.

Saving this business should be a priority for Loveland. We are a little sweetheart town, we should be about supporting our community and small businesses there. We want small businesses, family operated places. I grew up right on Broadway on the hill, my parents still live there, Loveland Canoe is apart of our home of our city, the city needs to fight to find a way to make it work.

Next council meeting is next Tuesday, August 25th at 7:30 PM.

Let’s build a huge eye sore in the middle of town but the hell with the long time residents and business owners. ..what crap!

Save this business!!! That is a great part of what gives Loveland its charm.
Work with these people , they certainly have worked for the good of this city!

The symbols around loveland are painted canoes. When I say I’m. From loveland people say that’s where they canoe and bike. Can it be moved anywhere on the other side of the river?

While I like progress , the Canoe and kayaks provide a great culture for our town. Loveland station is too overpowering. It does not fit the culture of our town in my opinion.

This Is really horrible. They are such an asset to the community! People come to Loveland FOR the canoe rental. Very sad that the city will squeeze out the little guy to get Loveland Station complete. Also- The parking issue seems like it was an afterthought. Where in the world did they think anyone would park?! 

Very sad that even in a small town, a deal and a handshake no longer mean anything.

Loveland had a nice new parking lot that cost many hundreds of thousands of dollars that they tore up to bring an eyesore into existence. Greed, greed, greed…

Save Loveland Canoe and Kayak!!

Mark has done a remarkable job with the Loveland Canoe company. He has brought people into Loveland that would have not come other than to Conoe. Those same people have lunch, dinner etc from the other merchants in Loveland 

Instead looking to do something to a well known, established and productive business 

Focus on what Loveland downtown lacks.

INFRASTRUCTURE. Whomever was responsible for this needs to be removed. 

The roads in and out of downtown are horrible. TRAFFIC (cars, bikes, pedestrians) 

The question of every TAX PAYING resident wants to know is what happens when not if there is an issue that requires a ln emergency response in downtown Loveland. 

The quick answer is it will be an extremely bad experience for those who need the help and frustrating to those trying to get in.

This is why I moved out of loveland a rarely return. It’s all about money and big business now and overwhelming police that ticket you for anything. It’s a shame you’d take another part of history from this town. It used to be a great place to live and raise kids. I was raised there and thought I’d raise my son there but not a chance in hell now. The town is too small with too many people. Next they will be tearing down more historical sites and what little woods are there to build condos and more subdivisions. What a joke.

This was one of the reasons we moved to Loveland, the adorable convenient canoe and kayak rental has been one of the benefits of living here. We love being able to walk into a quaint historic town and have access to places like the canoe rental, It sickens me if they get pushed out due to the new additions.

I grew up here in Loveland and my dad is still here in Loveland. I graduated a Loveland Tiger! It used to be a small town with a big heart that cared about the family. But unfortunately that is no longer the case. Loveland has become greedy. Loveland is all about money now. It used to be about the bike trail and canoe rental… Now it’s about how to make more money. It’s a shame that they would not be willing to work with such a great asset to the community, especially to people that are willing to work with the city and have been so giving and community focused! I hope Loveland changes its tune. I think the people of Loveland, if asked, would stand up to save the canoe rental! I know I would!

They need to get a petition together!

What they need is a petition and loveland residents picketing on the street in front of city hall!

Well this just stinks if you get rid of Loveland canoe your letting a piece of history go by the way side, Bad move .. I also think the city is well snooty the police are corrupt and now pushing the small man out there is only 3 reasons I go to Loveland number 1 Loveland canoe and Kayak, 2 bike trail and 3 Castle skate land other than that I don’t go to Loveland and don’t want to drive through Loveland the cops will think of a reason to pull you over..

They need to stop messing with historic Loveland. It’s sad it already doesn’t feel the same. Save Loveland Canoe and Kayak!!

I hope the people stand up for keeping and enhancing this business that benefits the area on multi levels. A town’s tourism draw is vital and beneficial to many other businesses and your character of what unique downtown identifiers offer. Hope you come up with workable solutions. May want to rally up your county and state tourism bureaus for stats and support. The Loveland Canoe and Livery seems to be in the Top 5 things to do and see in Loveland. Your economic development team needs educated on the huge $$ impact tourism has on an area. Killing Loveland’s top attraction and not giving help to be successfully run will have a giant negative economic impact overall on your city and its other businesses. * May want to get data and info from counties Loveland is in: Hamilton, Clermont, and Warren county tourism bureaus and others that use the biz as a draw for visitors, state tourism and development dept of DiscoverOhio, and the Ohio Tourism Association, etc. Cheers to workable solutions.

This is terrible! My friends and I have been renting canoes for as long as I can remember, and a new project downtown is gonna shut down a local business. This is ridiculous, keep Loveland canoe and kayak, take down the new place

It would be a shame if the canoe rental goes out in the heart of Loveland. I have so many memories from when I was a boy. In 1979, my dad and I helped build Bruce Crutchfield’s house and the canoe rental building. On my mom’s side of the family, the carry out known as McCoy Headquarters was popular back then. My grandfather and I would stop by to see my grandmother who lived just upstairs from. There’s a lot of history there, especially for me.

It’s really a shame the city of Loveland is not being flexible to the Bersanis after all they have done for the community of Loveland! You have to know that this time of year is crucial for their business to have success!

So the city bought some of the canoe and kayaks land and wants to put a parking lot on the land they bought and the owner of canoe and kayak want to keep his barn on the property that he sold to the city……. I don’t see the problem. If it’s city property move the barn or you should not have sold the property to the city in the first place.

Let’s have a good Ole fashion protest right in front of City Hall not just for the canoe rental but for everything they’re turning downtown Loveland into a big eyesore obviously this whole thing this some sort of money grab and they’re ruining our small little historic town.

The city has yet to figure out that being a bully is not the way to grow and support the community. The Loveland Amazing Race I thought was the wake up call. Apparently they soon forget the negative effect that had on the local economy. Figure it out City Council or maybe we just call someone who is into bat migration to stop them from being unreasonable. The conversation should be, what can we do for Bersani’s to help your business!

Destroying Loveland one day at a time.

Loveland government is corrupted… A landmark and part of Loveland rich history, cut the red tape, and get your heads out of your rear ends counsel!!

We live right across the river from the canoe launch on Main. I hate to hear they are being treated like this.

Yuppies on city council do not think about the long time residents of Loveland, they should be ashamed at what they are doing to our city!!!!!

While I agree that local businesses should be supported (and obviously Loveland Canoe and Kayak is not) please realize that these apartments are a blessing to those of us who are disabled and cannot climb stairs to get to their apartment or get to a rental house. I couldn’t find an apartment anywhere within a reasonable distance that offered handicapped accessible housing.

The city of Loveland seems to be rapidly gaining the reputation of being the not so nice BIG BROTHER. What a shame. How can we stand up and support this family, looking for some positive suggestions.

Loveland has always been this way.

I sent them an email through Facebook asking if they are getting a petition together. Also posted on their page asking. ..no reply yet. Also picketing in front of city hall would be great!

Do you think their needs to be an investigation by the state as to the improprieties of the local government. 

It seems obvious that something is wrong..

Save the outdoor sporting! I will kayak here in my support

How on earth can they not make this work. Do the right thing Loveland! It is part of who this community is. Progress is great but this makes no sense to me.

You can’t take away all of the truly historic parts of Loveland & expect to maintain the integrity of the culture…which is what brings people to Loveland!

That time when my dad opened up his business, Powerhouse Weight Lifting, on Broadway st in 1977. Bruce had three air boat rental. It was awesome and a great ride.

What a shame. It’s phenomenal that the city can’t work out a compromise with what is one of the most iconic businesses in the Loveland community.

This would be a HORRIBLE move by the city.

The canoeing is how many, many people first experience Loveland!

This is the dumbest move to ever come out of the Council chambers. Only a Complete idiot would allow this.

Yeah, who wants a business in town that has continually accommodated the town, improved itself and has woven itself into the fabric of the town? (He writes wishing for a sarcasm font)

Residents note: Please…..if you are completely and utterly changing what has MADE Loveland fundamentally fantastic, then you are the problem. Expletive Expletive Expletive. Way to take something great, and create the worlds worst daily traffic jam, aggravate the motorists and residents that pay taxes for those that don’t, oh, and now run small businesses out of town to, quite simply put, create more headache for everyone? Sounds like a great idea. Proceed! Oh, and silence trains warning signals to alert motorists that a 50,000 lb Vehicle that doesn’t stop well is approaching a crossroads. You guys are smart!

Do the right thing, Loveland. Support your local business. You would never be where you are today without them.

Very sad how Loveland is trying to push out small businesses that have been around for many years. Personally, I hate what Loveland is doing with all the new huge buildings and such. When you come down the hill on 48, all you see is a monstrosity blocking the whole downtown view. In addition, they are catering to the yuppies moving into the apartments and risking public safety by not allowing the trains to blow their horns near the new apartments. Need I mention the Loveland Water Department who is financially raping the residents with water bills that are triple to quadruple what other local water suppliers charge. Very sad days in Loveland, Ohio.

I’m sure Linda Cox will make sure the right things happen. I believe in her!!!! This is her hometown.

It takes more than one person!

Just like the Loveland Amazing Race, the city leaders in Loveland continue to make stupid choices. Only AFTER realizing what the LAR meant to the city’s economy, did they allow it back in the city limits. I know Mark, and he is one of the good guys, and I hope they can work this out. But if the city leaders haven’t changed much in the last few years…well, Stupid is as Stupid does.

Blame Linda Cox. She makes the dumb mistakes apparently!

It’s not just one person. ..I’ve been to council meetings and although they let people speak, they take none of it into consideration!

First, let me say I believe that working with this business should be a priority for Loveland. I have sympathy for the small business owner , but that said…. why would you ever sell property to the city you would need to keep your business going on the hopes that in the long term the city would never do anything with it that could potentially harm your business? Regardless of a handshake agreement in place, city leaders change along with priorities.

Too much power in the hands of too few for too long. Bowling alley purchase smelled to high heaven. Now this. Giving small town back room politics a bad name.

This is what happens when you allow non-Lovelanders to move into positions of power, they try to change our hometown into something it is not. …another Yuppieville, USA. People SHOULD Have Voted To Keep Hometown Loveland people in the power positions!!!

While I appreciate your sentiment, I’m not exactly sure a divisive tone is the best way to go about helping these small business owners out. And, yeah, I’m not a native Lovelander but I still love this town.

I’m not from here. ..but I feel for the business and owners! Why does one have to be from any one place to feel the way they do?

I feel for the business owners. I’m saddened that the council had taken advantage of these people. An action in good faith used to be worth something in this town! So. …. I wonder what this council has planned for the other side of Loveland?

You can stop calling it historic. Call it what it is…. A mess. All these new buildings in a 2 lane city….. Loveland killed itself trying to be a mini mason

Yes, this is exactly what we need – more parking and fewer family-run small businesses! Awesome plan for community growth…

Loveland station looks more like Godzilla it’s out of place

I couldnt agree more. Such an eyesore.

Lesson here is don’t trust the city I guess.

City can shove it! You just can’t shut down a very much loved business like that! I know the owners will fight to keep their business going.

80% of income from local bussiness stays in the local economy. Chain bussiness (Mc D et al) only contribute 20% to local economies

This is awful! Loveland should be ashamed!

Your city planners are more about keeping up appearances than keeping whats been great for your city’s growth and economy for years. They have “developed” a tradition of cutting their own throats. Why not just build an attractive facade to placate the yuppie council members from out of town?

This is the most important business in Loveland. It’s a no Brainer. If they can sell the firehouse for a dollar they can sell the road to no where to protect a very publicized business.

What they heck. Council Members are idots.

Tear down the eyesore across from the hardware store for them!!! How it keeps getting used for Christmas in Loveland when the backside of the building is caving in is amazing to me!

UhOh, Loveland is starting to smell like Blue Ash!

Greed Trumps all . Glad we sold our house in Loveland just in time . Cluster F¥#€ .

The city needs to do whatever it can to protect and save this business!

Come on, Loveland! Get this one right!!

Lovelanders–don’t forget that casting your vote on Facebook doesn’t really count. Run for city council!

this makes me SO FREAKING MAD!!!!!!!!!!!

If you don’t like what the government is doing quit reelecting them… This goes for Congress, Senate, and presidents as well.

Regarding the traffic issue, this is something I have been wondering about. I don’t know how they were planning to accommodate that many additional people without changing the roads; at least the traffic flow.

That was the best place

Why do you think people come to downtown Loveland? It’s not for the traffic jam, but for the LOCAL businesses. Don’t screw this one up too council.

Loveland City Council can’t be trusted to do anything “for” Loveland, if they don’t sell him the property he needs in good faith- the same as he did for the City 12 yrs ago…. The Canoe Livery is the center of Loveland’s small business and has been long before the rest of old Loveland came to be …I can’t believe that Loveland City Council can be ignorant of what is good for Loveland…

Ridiculous!! They’re thinking about ruining a business…. for parking??!Save Loveland Canoe and Kayak!!!

Typical money talks from Washington DC all the way down to the city council always hurting the little guy!

Sad

Loveland your getn to big for your britches . People come to loveland to canoe . You take away the things that has made this town what it is and i hope you fail at your new misguided ventuers. My family has been in loveland since dirt roads ran threw town and the loveland i knew growing up is gone . And one last thing to add the trains are a heritage to loveland taking away the sound of the horns blowing at any different time of day is what made my grandparents day the sound of the horn. My grandparents were born and raised here and always said theres no place like home loveland. My granpa passed this past spring at 89 thats a long time in one place.

Damn, seems like the city doesn’t give a crap about the canoe rental. He should have never sold that property.

What they need is a petition and loveland residents picketing on the street in front of city hall!

Just another piece of Loveland’s heritage slipping away. Yet, we will make room for ‘wonderful’ chain restaurants! Joni Mitchell sang about such sadness in 1970:

“They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
With a pink hotel, a boutique
And a swinging hot SPOT
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got
‘Til it’s gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot.”