Three state agencies gave the Cayuga County Parks Commission the thumbs up to move forward with plans to withdraw county ownership of Fair Haven's West Barrier Bar to future proprietors, the village of Fair Haven and the town of Sterling.

Parks Commissioner Gary Duckett confirmed Friday that the state Department of Environmental Conservation, state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and state Office of General Services, approved a proposal for the town and village to obtain ownership of the 15-acre park after completing a five-year transition with the county.

"None of them (the agencies) had any opposition as far as change of ownership goes," Duckett said.

Duckett will next ask the town and village to authorize resolutions in support of the plan before presenting the proposal to the county's Public Works Committee in June.

"A ownership won't be transferred for five years. The first year they're (the town and village) probably going to test the water and make sure it's working out," Duckett said.

Included in the proposal are plans to create a park steward position and to issue parking stickers to county residents. Both municipalities plan to implement trash collection at the park, install portable bathrooms and improve lighting in the parking area.

Commissioners agreed in March that by placing bar ownership in the hands of local municipalities, the park can be better managed.

West Barrier Bar, the 15 acres of land between Lake Ontario and Little Sodus Bay, has transformed into a nuisance area with vandalism and some instances of violence.

Read the full report in Saturday's edition of The Citizen.