"When they said $5.2 million... it's still hard to comprehend," Rome Township Trustee Bob Mayo told WSAZ in May 2024. That was the week Gov. Mike DeWine announced a grant for the old Lock and Dam 27 site off old Ohio 7, north of Proctorville. Mayo described a marina large enough for more than 100 boats, where "you'll be able to come down here and rent a pontoon or other watercraft."
Projects funded by that grant program have to be finished by October 31, 2026. What's due at Lock 27 this month is a public riverfront park with docking along the river wall, a shelter, and new water and electric service. The power hookups caused the most argument over the past two years. They are also the feature most likely to change how the park gets used.
How a Marina Became a Park
The plan changed in stages. In order:
- May 2024. The WSAZ announcement listed sea wall repairs, a new boat launch, a floating dock, trails, lighting, picnic shelters, and "a couple of pickleball courts to what we already have."
- The RV component is dropped. The early plans included an RV park meant to pay for park operations, and Herald-Dispatch opinion editor Jim Ross wrote that "community opposition killed that idea." The county says the Governor's Office of Appalachia was told the project would have no RV-park component.
- 2025 to 2026. Final engineering and construction estimates were completed, the scope was cut back to fit the available funding, and construction started. Allard Excavation of South Webster won the site-prep contract, which also covers sister projects at Burlington, South Point, Ironton, and Gallipolis. Lock 27 was the first of the four Lawrence County sites to get approval from the Huntington District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
- June 4, 2026. The current site plan carries this date, and a public meeting was held the same day. At that meeting, project representatives said all required permits and approvals had been obtained before construction moved forward.
- July 21, 2026. Minutes from that day's county commission meeting record representatives of HomeTown Love thanking the commissioners for meeting with Rome Township residents about Lock 27 and saying they appreciated the clarification that no RV park is planned.
The county explains the changes by pointing to construction cost increases, inflation, environmental and permitting requirements, site conditions, and available funding. It also says "no money has been taken away from this project."
What the Current Plan Includes
Under the June 2026 site plan, Lawrence County lists:
- Utility infrastructure and dock facilities
- Riverfront improvements and event-support infrastructure
- Shelter facilities
- Improved pedestrian access and parking
- Landscaping and site amenities
The county's FAQ adds a firepit and benches. It says the river wall will get concrete capping and a raised center section so that "boats of all sizes" can dock there. The Ross column updated in July 2026 quotes project manager Jessica Keeton describing a shelter, restrooms, and pickleball courts as places to "give the people a place to recreate." There's also a new road down to the lower level. The county says Trustees Bob Mayo and Mark Bailey asked for it.
The 2024 list included a new boat launch, and that has been dropped. The county says the current launch is deteriorating in spots but still works, with two of its three lanes open. Funding went to accessibility, utilities, parking, and event infrastructure instead. Commissioners say they'll look at launch repairs separately from this grant. The site plan says the property is meant for recreational boating, and overnight camping is not permitted.
The Pedestals Behind the Courthouse Meeting
The water and electric pedestals drew the most suspicion. At a courthouse meeting with Commissioners Colton Copley and DeAnna Holliday, about a dozen Rome Township residents said they were concerned that the electrical pads labeled for food trucks were really meant for overnight RV parking. "There are no plans for this to be an RV park," Copley said. Holliday explained that the state-hired designers call them RV pedestals, "but we're not referring to those that way." A township resident replied, "I don't see changes in the drawings reflect those thoughts." After the meeting, the resident said, "They listened to our concerns."
Residents raised other concerns too: the new one-way ramp's tight turn and steep grade, security and vandalism, and whether all the change would wear away the park's historic character.
The county's own explanation of the pedestals describes what the park is meant to become. It lists food trucks, community festivals, concerts, farmers markets, boating events, and mobile restrooms as potential uses. The upper level's center area will have a vendor area served by three double-sided pedestals. Each mobile restroom will need its own pedestal with up to 50 amps. A larger outdoor performance could need three to eight pedestals for sound and lighting. Right now the site has no utilities at all.
Keeton gave the simplest version: "It's so the community can hold festivals down there. It's going to be what it is now but with more to do there."
Why the Lower Level Stays Mostly as It Is
The river limits how much can be built at the bottom of the site. Lock and Dam 27 began construction in 1918 and opened in 1923. It was decommissioned in 1961, when the new Greenup Locks and Dam raised the pool. The lock, the dam, and one building on the Ohio side were then removed and the grounds became a park. Ross notes it was one of the Ohio's old movable dams. At high water the dam could be lowered to the riverbed so boats could pass over it.
The county says Ohio River flooding regularly reaches the lower area, and that area is subject to state and federal review. The project was designed to stay within a 1-acre disturbance limit. The county asked for an exemption and was denied, and the grant timeline left no room to pursue the larger permits. That leaves the riverbank close to the spot Ross calls "a great place to fish, to watch boats or to enjoy quiet." Most of the new features are going on the upper level.
What Hasn't Been Settled
As of the county's June 2026 update, a few things were still open:
- Completion. The county says the project must be done by October 31, and the county page lists no ribbon cutting or opening date.
- More funding. A request for additional money has gone to the Ohio Department of Development. Until a final Guaranteed Maximum Price agreement is approved, the budget stays at the original amount.
- A marina operator. The county describes the project as public infrastructure that a private partner could build on. It also says "no specific future use, service, partnership, or operational model is guaranteed."
- Accountability. Copley said he wants an audit of spending and plan changes once the project is finished. Holliday said, "We're going to be left with a beautiful park. But more importantly, it's going to be something we can build on."
The county's Lock 27 project page posts the site plans, permitting materials, and meeting recordings.
Where Rome Township Gathers This Month
The county named festivals and food vendors as the reason for the power hookups. This month, the area's gatherings are still happening elsewhere.
The 4th Annual Rome Beauty Apple Festival runs October 17 and 18, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days, in the field next to Beulah Baptist Church at 20 Township Road 1087 in Proctorville. A week earlier, on October 10, the 30th Annual Chesapeake Octoberfest fills Chesapeake Village Triangle at 4 Chesapeake Plaza from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Chesapeake-Union Township Fire Department organizes it, and the day includes a 10 a.m. fire parade, a car show, vendors, and stage entertainment.
Closer to the village, Proctorville Mayor Bill Elliott told county commissioners in July that work on accessible playground equipment at the community park is ongoing, with fundraising underway for more improvements.
Plan your route to either festival around a few road changes on ODOT's Lawrence County advisory page:
- SR 775 is down to one lane between SR 217 and Mounts Branch Road for a slide repair, with a temporary signal in place. Completion is estimated for fall 2026.
- SR 243 is permanently closed between Bent Creek Road and Eaton Road for the SR 7 Chesapeake Bypass Phase 2. The detour runs SR 378 to SR 217 to SR 775 to SR 7.
- Since September 8, Bent Creek has been reachable only by Greasy Ridge, during a tie-in closure estimated at eight weeks. The bypass is expected to be finished in fall 2028.
At Impact Realty Group, we follow projects like Lock 27 because new riverfront access, event space, and road changes all affect daily life in eastern Lawrence County. If you own a home near Proctorville and want to know how the area's changes affect your home's value, get your free home valuation and talk it over with an agent who keeps up with Rome Township.
