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Home My WebLink About2009-11-19 Harbor Committee Minutes Summary Public Forum for Small Craft Access in the Bangor Waterfront Park November 19, 2009 – Bangor Parks and Recreation Building In attendance - 24 citizens representative of multiple local boating organizations including MACKRO, Penobscot Coalition, Penobscot River Keepers, MOAC, Penobscot Paddle & Chowder Society, Penobscot Cruising Club; Penobscot Restoration Trail; Business representatives including Brad Ryder, EPIC Sports - 3 City Councilors (Blanchette, Gratwick, & Nealley) - City Staff (Jim Ring, Tracy Willette, Rodney McKay, Jerry Ledwith) - Harbor Committee Members Assets of the Harbor as it relates to Small Craft and reasons for creating a Small Craft Access point: - Recent restoration of water quality and fish habitat - Ideal location for small boat recreational use, significant potential for growth, a recreational activity for the common citizen - Value as an educational resource - Desirability to have a location close to town Requirements and suggestions for an access point - Close access to the bulkhead area is desirable for parking and closeness to town. There is a natural eddy at the bulkhead, protection from wind - Requires easy/close access to waterfront for relatively short carry distance - Adequate number of parking spaces considering numbers that some activities will attract (races, water safety, educational activities etc) - Although craft would be hand carried (or hand wheeled) some craft will be on small trailers and will need accommodation in the parking/drive up area. Some war canoes are 50 feet long. - No need for a back down ramp to accommodate larger trailered boats which can use the city dock/ramp in Hampden. - Inclined ramp access is desirable - Consider a synthetic mat covering for the ramp – Concrete is hard on boats, variable surface conditions below high water mark - Information kiosk (tides, safety) - Consider racks for storage (security is a concern) - Consider a boathouse/building at some point - Consider more picnic tables - Consider whether the ramp would be usable for emergency access - Gomez park access suggested by some. Would be good for Kenduskeag Stream Race. Preferred by some, but there are site limitations. Specific Activities for the Waterfront - Boating safety programs/rescue demonstrations - Possibilityt of a boating club. - Programs in partnership with local businesses - Wellness activity program - Possible rentals (done in early 1900’s on Brewer side) - Moonlight paddles (30 boats/45 paddlers participated in Sept ’09 river paddle) - Summer racing program for canoes/kayaks (there is a regional racing circuit) - Kids summer program - ? parks & rec, - Fishing activities Letters/emails jeff owen \[jcowen_01@yahoo.com\] Hi Dan--Family obligations kept me from attending the public forum, and I'm interested in how the discussion went. I've listed some of my thoughts below, if they might still be useful. I would also entertain the idea of representing our interests at other meetings of the harbor committee if you think it might be useful. Let me know. Happy Turkey Sandwiches! Jeff Some thoughts: 1. I would echo the thoughts of others that the location might be used more if it were located closer to the mouth of the Kenduskeag. Other than that, sufficient parking would be the only other consideration about the site itself. 2. I'm most intrigued by the development of a "Hand-Powered Boat Club." An actual club, membership in which would convey some responsibility and benefit to a person. -For this, a building becomes essential; -a boathouse in which "members" could store equipment, shower and change, and hold meetings; -the meeting space could be used for instructional/educational opportunities; -equipment rental (for non-members) and loan (for members) opportunities could become available, if the "club" secured some equipment of its own or if members made their equipment available; -weekly fitness, training, and competition opportunities; -MaCKRO could hold a "group membership" and our members could be then be instrumental in developing some of the programs and events. One reason I think a building is essential is that we all have access to water near our homes. Such is simply true by living in Maine. What would be unique enough about the access in Bangor to REGULARLY draw people away from their own haunts and drive their boat to Bangor? The ability to gather there, under shelter, would be truly unique. That's what I've got, for what it's worth. From: Scott \[mailto:scott_craig@myfairpoint.net\] Sent: Thursday, November 19, 2009 8:08 AM To: Gayle Zydlewski Subject: Small Boat Access in Bangor, Build it, and they will come..... I will not be able to make it to the meeting, I hope you can relay my comments I highly support and would use such an access point. My family and friends utilize small non-powered watercraft routinely on the Penobscot above Old Town . We normally float ~10 miles in a day, but this is fairly slow water- See picts With the upcoming removal of the Great Works and Veazie Dams, we will begin floating from Old Town to Bangor; just over 10 miles of much faster moving water. So a takeout downtown will be much appreciated. The Old Town to Bangor Penobscot River section is going to be a canoe-kayak (and personal pontoon boat) mecca after the dams are removed! Bangor Parks & Recreation needs to coordinate with Old Town on improving access and promoting public use this valuable resource. 11/19/2009 Councilors, I am not able to attend the scheduled Harbor Committee meeting tonight at 7 PM although I wish I could. I see that one topic is planned to be small boat access to the river. I greatly support the idea that we make the river accessible by residents for small boat use. I recognize that some few of those citizens might get in a little trouble on the water. However the river is really narrow and in Bangor Harbor it is about impossible for a boater to get very far from shore. Only a little good judgment will be needed to be safe. Just a small dose of common sense will keep most people off the water in thunder storms and during extreme out going tides in the spring. There are safe boating classes offered in multiple places locally. Also, if we develop a situation in which there are more small boaters on the river then they form a sort of rescue squadron to help each other if one boater drops his paddle etc. Historically, before WWII and earlier, many Bangor residents (and many others along the river) availed themselves of the river as a small scale recreational assesst. There is a large picture on the wall in the Brewer Council Chambers (that I have studied many times while rather bored waiting for a council meeting to end – all Brewer Department heads are require to attend all Brewer Council meetings). When studying the details of the picture one can see that on the Brewer shore (c. mid 1920’s) there is a place that rented canoes and row boats. It apparently did enough business to exist for some time. Today a person could not rent a small boat in Bangor or Brewer. In my view it is not good that our harbor does not offer opportunities for small boats, less expensive craft, for the average citizen to enjoy our water. If there becomes a way to develop a new small boat access to the river I think that would be a good benefit to living in Bangor. Along with access it would be nice if there was a dock / float that was easily and inexpensively available to citizens to tie up a small boat during the non-ice season so that average citizens could keep a small boat in the water in their home town harbor. Please try to make this happen. Rick Bronson