


BY NANCY GAGNET | MIRROR REPORTER— Residents of Waterside held a ceremonial groundbreaking for the construction of the new clubhouse expansion project.
Waterside is a villa community located off of Monclova Road in Monclova Township, where over 1,000 residents enjoy group activities, a clubhouse, a pool, tennis courts and more.
The expansion, which is just over 4,000 square feet, is expected to be completed next year. The project will offer a larger great room that will allow for indoor activities such as yoga, strength and balance classes, Zumba, line dancing and more.
“We hope to add some other fun amenities, such as a movie night and dances, and we will also have a larger capacity to hold indoor social gatherings, which will allow for larger crowds,” said community manager Sheila Bahnsen.
The fitness center will also nearly double in size, which will provide an opportunity to invest in additional fitness equipment.
The project is budgeted to cost $650,000. Homeowners’ Association (HOA) president Bill Clark said that it has been designed to serve the entire community.
“This expansion will certainly offer all of the residents of our 602 homes something that they can use,” he said.
The clubhouse expansion is one of several projects that the HOA has overseen the last three years, according to Clark. Other projects include a new shade pavilion at the pool, a shade canopy at the pickleball courts, new resting benches throughout the community, additional bocce ball courts, improvements to the two front entrances, new aerators in the east and west lakes and improvements to the east boat ramp with improvements scheduled to take place at the west lake. The HOA has also taken over maintenance and repair of the mailboxes, Clark added.
“The clubhouse expansion is certainly the most visible improvement” he said.
Several individuals were recognized during the event, including board members Ed Ciecka, Bill Close, Frank Kohler, Dave Holz, Heidi Hess and John Curtis.
Former board member Doug Zimmerman, who is credited with spearheading the pre-planning and planning phases of the expansion project, was also recognized. Committee chair members were acknowledged as well as the community’s oldest resident, 97-year-old Norman Hurlburt, an active member of the group who moved to Waterside four years ago.
Architect Lindsey Stough, of Stough & Stough Architects in Sylvania, and contractor Craig Comte, of Comte Construction, also took part in the groundbreaking event.