rivrbrat
05-22-2005, 09:09 AM
Mooring No More? Businesses object to city's efforts to restrict activities in the Bridgewater Channel
By BRIAN DiTULLIO
Saturday, May 21, 2005 10:33 PM MDT
News-Herald photo/Brian DiTullio A boater passes one of the new signs put up in the Bridgewater Channel this past week that restrict mooring in certain areas. The City Council is scheduled to review the policy on Tuesday after several business owners complained the closures were too restrictive.
English Village owners are up in arms about portions of the Bridgewater Channel being closed.
According to city spokesman Charlie Cassens, 27 percent of the available moorings, approximately 200 spots, in the Channel were closed this week per direction of City Council at their May 3 work session.
However, items brought up at work sessions can not be voted on and Councilman Don Clark is wondering why his suggestion to reduce the number of closed moorings was not considered. He wanted the issue put on the May 10 regular meeting agenda for a vote.
"They've closed the east bank except for a tiny section," said Mike Sabo, owner of London Bridge Ice Cream. "No one's going to walk all the way from Rotary Park just to get an ice cream."
Clark said he had notified Mayor Bob Whelan of his wish for more discussion, but the issue was not discussed at the May 10 meeting.
"There was no vote taken," Clark said on Friday. "But I guess they thought it was a consensus and I thought it was coming back for a vote."
Clark had suggested a less restrictive plan that only would have affected around 15 percent of the available moorings.
Capt. Randy McCaleb of the Lake Havasu City Police Department said this particular issue didn't require a vote, which was why it already is being enforced.
"According to city ordinance, the city manager has the authority to restrict the amount of moorings in the Channel," he said. "We simply took our direction from council."
City Manager Tim Ernster said he had been down to look at the signs and thought it was a little more than anticipated.
"We certainly don't want to hurt our businesses down there and we'll be taking a look at this at the next City Council meeting," he said.
Mayor Bob Whelan said the current signs are not necessarily permanent and that the City Council would be reviewing the new policy at their next meeting on May 24 to decide if any changes need to be made.
Whelan also said the new policy only was meant for weekends.
"There was not an intent to restrict (moorings) during the week, just the weekends," he said.
Ernster concurred, saying the signs will either have to be changed or covered up and that the restrictions may only be for busy holiday weekends, or on an as-needed basis.
"I've been down there on a Sunday when it isn't too congested," said Ernster. "We may only have to set it up on days when it really gets congested."
"It's going to affect all of us," said Sabo. "It already has, in fact."
Tom Felke, co-owner of Shugrue's, said he consider the Bridgewater Channel part of the Lake Havasu City experience and that having Channel activity is part of the charm.
"If it's a health or safety issue, I have no problem with it," said Felke, "But there's a lot of markets competing for tourist dollars and we don't want to do anything to upset that."
"It's killing business," said Sabo. "We're going to be dead."
Whelan said City Council would be taking the concerns of the business owners into account at the next meeting when the policy is reviewed.
The moorings were restricted as part of a two-phase plan recommended by the police department to better control an increase in outrageous behavior that has caused a rise in arrests, noise and carbon monoxide in the manmade waterway.
You may contact the reporter at ditullio@havasunews.com
By BRIAN DiTULLIO
Saturday, May 21, 2005 10:33 PM MDT
News-Herald photo/Brian DiTullio A boater passes one of the new signs put up in the Bridgewater Channel this past week that restrict mooring in certain areas. The City Council is scheduled to review the policy on Tuesday after several business owners complained the closures were too restrictive.
English Village owners are up in arms about portions of the Bridgewater Channel being closed.
According to city spokesman Charlie Cassens, 27 percent of the available moorings, approximately 200 spots, in the Channel were closed this week per direction of City Council at their May 3 work session.
However, items brought up at work sessions can not be voted on and Councilman Don Clark is wondering why his suggestion to reduce the number of closed moorings was not considered. He wanted the issue put on the May 10 regular meeting agenda for a vote.
"They've closed the east bank except for a tiny section," said Mike Sabo, owner of London Bridge Ice Cream. "No one's going to walk all the way from Rotary Park just to get an ice cream."
Clark said he had notified Mayor Bob Whelan of his wish for more discussion, but the issue was not discussed at the May 10 meeting.
"There was no vote taken," Clark said on Friday. "But I guess they thought it was a consensus and I thought it was coming back for a vote."
Clark had suggested a less restrictive plan that only would have affected around 15 percent of the available moorings.
Capt. Randy McCaleb of the Lake Havasu City Police Department said this particular issue didn't require a vote, which was why it already is being enforced.
"According to city ordinance, the city manager has the authority to restrict the amount of moorings in the Channel," he said. "We simply took our direction from council."
City Manager Tim Ernster said he had been down to look at the signs and thought it was a little more than anticipated.
"We certainly don't want to hurt our businesses down there and we'll be taking a look at this at the next City Council meeting," he said.
Mayor Bob Whelan said the current signs are not necessarily permanent and that the City Council would be reviewing the new policy at their next meeting on May 24 to decide if any changes need to be made.
Whelan also said the new policy only was meant for weekends.
"There was not an intent to restrict (moorings) during the week, just the weekends," he said.
Ernster concurred, saying the signs will either have to be changed or covered up and that the restrictions may only be for busy holiday weekends, or on an as-needed basis.
"I've been down there on a Sunday when it isn't too congested," said Ernster. "We may only have to set it up on days when it really gets congested."
"It's going to affect all of us," said Sabo. "It already has, in fact."
Tom Felke, co-owner of Shugrue's, said he consider the Bridgewater Channel part of the Lake Havasu City experience and that having Channel activity is part of the charm.
"If it's a health or safety issue, I have no problem with it," said Felke, "But there's a lot of markets competing for tourist dollars and we don't want to do anything to upset that."
"It's killing business," said Sabo. "We're going to be dead."
Whelan said City Council would be taking the concerns of the business owners into account at the next meeting when the policy is reviewed.
The moorings were restricted as part of a two-phase plan recommended by the police department to better control an increase in outrageous behavior that has caused a rise in arrests, noise and carbon monoxide in the manmade waterway.
You may contact the reporter at ditullio@havasunews.com