Thanks To All!
Good Morning!
As a newcomer to this site, I am very impressed by the number and the quality of the comments, pro and con, concerning the proposed new LWSA/Adams Memorial Sailing Center. I'm glad to see that an intelligent discussion can occur through this medium in a way that allows people to become informed and to simultaneously voice their opinions.
Please allow me to address a few points/questions that have been raised. The new Sailing Center will not be a private facility. It will be open to the public. Memberships will be solicited as a way to raise funds for operations, but the programs run by the facility will be open to participation to all comers. Because it will not be possible to charge users enough to cover the costs of purchasing and maintaining equipment, paying full and part time staff, costs of insurance, utlities, building maintenance, snow plowing, grounds maintenance, and on and on and on, the LWSA, on a limited basis, will allow people to hold special functions in the building such as anniversaries and weddings for a fee, just as is done at Gunstock and other publicly owned facilities.
The building will be totally enclosed and it is anticipated that no more noise will spread over to Lake Shore Park than already flows from Lake Shore Park over to Ellacoya. This is not a smart mouthed kind of comment -- it's designed to point out that the Lake Shore Park waterfront is anything, but a quiet serene sort of place. It is a a very busy, active and at times, a downright noisy, frentic, fun and friendly place -- as it should be!
As for the Ironman Competition, the LWSA plans to give the event the use of the LWSA's facility on that weekend and in all likelihood, the LWSA will not plan to use the waterfront for its sailing programs on that same weekend. This is not cast in stone, but the message I'm trying to relate is that the LWSA and Keith/Audra worked together very effectively during this year's event and we're very confident we will do so in the future.
As far as Lakegirl's assertion that the LWSA has changed its program from earlier representations, that is simply not the case. From day one, when Alan Kirkman (LSP's Executive Director) and I started communicating with one another, the LWSA has not held back any details of its plans or its programs in any way, shape or form. We have been direct, truthful and explicit about what is is we intend to do in all respects. So if you choose to, find fault with our intended uses and fight us on that front, but please don't accuse us of being untruthful or for misrepresenting our intentions -- you're out in left field doing that.
By the way, anyone who would like to see our plans, just call me or e-mail me and I'll send you a plan through the mails or I can forward a PDF and we're happy to do so. Addressing the concerns of the writer who had a reaction to the Brewster Academy Boathouse, our building will be well back from the waterfront with a large buffer of mature trees between the building and the water. I have a great sensitivity to the character of our lake's waterfront and nothing that I do or that the LWSA does will compromise that character.
As for the public boat ramp, a complete re-do of that ramp with an adjacent dock is part of the LWSA's plan and we will have a separate ramp of our own as well. I have propsed to the State that the LWSA will be willing to monitor and be responsible for enforcing whatever usage requirements the State wants to have in place. If the State will allow the LWSA to charge a fee to help cover the LWSA's expected costs of costructing the ramp, maintaining and overseeing the LWSA will gladly collect that fee. If the State requires the LWSA to manage the usage of the ramp, but collect no fee, the LWSA will comply. I feel certain that the public will happily pay something for access to a well constructed ramp that can be used year-round without vehicles getting stuck in the snow/water/sand.
Lastly, our plans do not contemplate building a "Wave Barrier" per se. The plans call for a wave fence -- a structure that allows the water to flow though the fence, but it knocks down the waves to permit calm water to be in place beyond the fence. This was the concession already made to Lake Shore Park to insure that sand and silt laden water could pass along the shorefront west and east in both directions. This was an appropriate request and the LWSA is happy that it could accommodate LSP's needs in this regard.
The LWSA will continue to take the needs of all stakeholders into consideration as we finalize the plans and go though the approval process. All questions and concerns are welcome and thanks to all of you who have taken the time to make your feelings known.
Regards,
Tom Mullen
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