Waterfront Recreation Meeting 2/13/07 6PM - Update: Report ?

sherrybohn · Since 16 Jun 2006 71 Posts

The Hood River Port Commission has requested that the Waterfront Recreation Committee convene for a special evening public meeting regarding the Hood River's November flooding event on the waterfront area.

Discussion will include an assessment of the existing conditions, near-term
impacts to the 2007 recreation season, and long-term evaluation of
future dynamic changes.

The public meeting venue will offer an opportunity for everyone to
participate in the discussion to assess the impact, to identify issues
of concern and to discuss potential mitigation steps. We are aware that significant issues include woody debris, access, signage, guidelines
for separation of water activities, changes to the beach, and etc.

DATE: February 13, 2007 - Tuesday
TIME: 6:00 PM
WHERE: Expo Center Conference Room

We will/have extended invitations to the Columbia Gorge Windsurfing and Kiteboard Associations, the Corps of Engineers, local windsurf and kiteboard shops and schools, as well as other recreation based and potentially impacted businesses. If there are other individuals you think should be invited, please let them or me know. An agenda will be available early next week.
Thank you!
Sherry Bohn
President Port of Hood River

pacifichigh · Since 11 May 2005 1004 Posts ATX Texan

The CGKA will be represented. Thanks Sherry.

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6548 Posts Couve / Hood Site Lackey

Please if you kite and you can make this meeting, attend! I think numbers will show our support as much as anything.

forrest · Mon Feb 05, 07 11:04 am

Anyone want to carpool from Portland? Leave at 4:30PM

EdG · Since 19 Dec 2005 424 Posts Just a Kook that's Obsessed

I'm heading out around 4:30 also. I have room for others if someone needs a ride. Leaving from inner SE PDX by the Lucky Lab.

ED

tinyE · Since 21 Jan 2006 2004 Posts not really an XTreme Poster

which expo? in HR?

magicmaker · Since 29 Oct 2006 895 Posts da Hood Opinionated

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6548 Posts Couve / Hood Site Lackey

so how did it go?

Mightykiter · Since 14 Feb 2007 4 Posts Kook

Can anyone fill me in on what, if anything, came of the meeting last night? I was there until 6:45 but had to leave early.

magicmaker · Since 29 Oct 2006 895 Posts da Hood Opinionated

well, we discussed signage and demarquation for seperation of the "prime" realestate (this being the ~200 yards of clean pristine beach on the westward end). But bottom line is, it looks like the sandbar is here to stay, and kiters and windsurfers are just going to have to get along. Yes hopefully we will segregate, but the thing that kinda pisses me off, is that we kiters are forced to walk farther away from the parking lot, simply because we have lighter gear. Windsurfers apparently can't pack their boards/sails/booms/masts the 200+ yards that kiters can carry there stuff. However, i am going to refrain from all insults i can think of on this matter, because, well that is just how it is, and like i said we're going to have to get along.

It pretty much sounds like the beginners and the schools are getting screwed due to lack beginner and teaching terrain. I'm sure schools will start transporting lessons up to the north side and the west side of wells island, as this is ideal beginner terrain. One interesting topic brought up was that of safety if the wind blows straight out of the west as we will have basically straight on shore winds. This might be an accident waiting to happen. Just think about it, if a beginner windsurfer tries to take off, he can't tack upwind away from the sandbar, and he hits the sandbar right where kiters are trying to launch. However the winds are predominantly SW making them side-onshore which will help faciliate getting beginner windsurfers and kiters out and away from the sandbar.

The other thing that was discussed was all the debris around the outer edge, and that its removal would affect fish habitat and if it were removed the sandbar would most likely erode away more quickly. I still think we need to clean up all this debris but it sounds like that is gonna be difficult to make it happen.

We also talked a little bit about swimmers access, but i think that will work itself out because wind recreators aren't out when the wind isn't blowing, and swimmers usually aren't out when the wind is blowing.

One of the last things discussed was that if everyone starts parking at the event site parking lot and just walking the short distance out to the sandbar we're going to face some serious overflow issues. oh and that we probably need a floating dock to walk across the small channel between the event site and sandar. I left about 7:30'ish, anybody got anything else to add?

registered · Since 12 Jul 2005 1319 Posts tsunami Sandbagger

Maybe the Hood should take advantage of kiting opps like utah and sanpete county has done with snowkiting.

It is the birth place , Cory, and all, and has the home of many companys.

http://sanpete.com/page/snowkiting

and there is a hell of alot less revenue from kiting at skyline than the gorge epicenter da hood. Even if the hardcores are sleepin in vans. Wink

sherrybohn · Since 16 Jun 2006 71 Posts

Excellent recap magicmaker. I need to review my notes but I think you hit the high points. Right off the top of my head other topics included...

Citizen request to the city of Hood River for water access via Lot 6

Discussion of who "controls/regulates" this new "beach." Looks like Department of State Lands owns most of it but the Port "owns/controls" access. Therefore we(the community, the port and the state) must work together inorder for "public safety" to be assured.

Motorized vehicle access/use/liability

Schools are a vital concern. If they are "forced" to transport up to Wells they are then concidered "river guides" and that changes a lot of "stuff" with regards to the state, marine board, coast guard and liability.

Water quality of Nichol's Boat Basin

CGWA & CGKA members needed to work together in order to come to consensus with regards to the segration and "congestion" area and then bring that to the Waterfront Recreation Commitee.

Once again....Thanks for everyone who attended and for you input.

More after I review my notes

sherrybohn · Since 16 Jun 2006 71 Posts

Also,
One thing that wasn't discussed was and still needs to be is....

"kickers"

Where?

kitezilla · Since 22 Jun 2006 453 Posts gorge Obsessed

Was anyone there representing the tour boat companies? Did they offer to dredge a channel into the boat basin?

If the tour boat companies bypass Hood River, wouldn't that have a large impact on the merchants of HR? Were any of these business owners present at the meeting?

That parking area reserved for the tour boats is quite large and has quite close access to the new enlarged sand bar. That parking area along with the lower parking area along the Hood River, used in the past by fishermen and wake-boarders, could supply a lot of overflow parking for the Event Center, providing the tour boats and other users decide to go elsewhere.

Were the property owners of the old Nichols boat-works there, and did they express an interest in dredging, in order to keep a channel open, in order to maintain the property value, as a barge repair facility? On the other hand, maybe the property would be worth more remodeled as the "Boatworks Riverfront Condominium", complete with Olympic size natural swimming pool.

Were any other "Habitat" issues discussed? I would think that, with the coming of the West winds, the wooden debris would act like a "snow fence" and start initiating the formation of sand dunes, which could provide a nesting area for Piping Plovers or other shorebirds, or their prey. This could result in seasonal restrictions on recreational activities on the sandbar.

Since the sandbar will most likely remain large and get larger in the future, were any concession issues discussed...like sand bar rental businesses, kayak rentals, stunt kites rentals, golf cart shuttle service to the river, sand castle contests, fireworks, summer concerts, etc?

Lots to think about....

sherrybohn · Since 16 Jun 2006 71 Posts

Army Corp of Engineers rep was at the meeting. Army Corp is "responsible" for any dredging. As stated there is no money, no budget and the time for any "in-work" water ends February 28th.

The one large tour boat that used the dock has actively been looking for an alternative because it hates having to turn side ways to the wind to dock and further hates "running the gauntlet" in order to dock. Financial impact is questionable in that most of the time the passengers were "bussed" to other locations. Smaller day tripper boat can use the dock inside the marina.

Interesting comments about the overflow parking....will pass that on.

The Naito development in the boat basin in being discussed as a hotel complex not barge repair. I'm sure Mr. Naito has an opinion on the environment of the basin but has stated that the proposed marina wasn't a make or break in regards to the development.

Lots of "habitat issues" were mentioned and will continue to be "issues."

Concessions?? It appears that the division of state lands considers this "like a beach"...... are there concessions on Oregon state beachs? It also appears that they really don't want to get involved with "managment" so those discussions will be interesting

Pepi · Wed Feb 14, 07 12:05 pm

Just to respond to the comments regarding the kiter and windsurf user access points and launching zones, as well accomodating the interests of the current kite schools.

CGWA and CGKA board representatives had a brief discussion after the meeting to work together in establishing agreed upon demarkation zones for kiteboarding and windsurfing (and safety barriers for other users) .

The goal would be to present to the Port of Hood River, Corp of Engineers, HR Sherrifs Dept, and HR Waterfront Recreation Committee, a unified plan for how the kiteboarding and windsurfing zones would be established, marked and maintained. I believe that this would very much help the Port of HR in giving us more support and consideration for any interest needs or improvments that we wish to see in the future.

In addition, I think that it would be important for us to also follow up on Kirsten's signage proposal for placing signs at each location to help educate kiters, windsurfers and swimmers of the safety issues involved with participating or being around kiteboarders and windsurfers.

Jim Grady and Cory Roeseler acted as the CGKA representatives at the meeting and have agreed to represent the CGKA in discussions with the CGWA board of directors and Exec Dir.

Jim - If I overlooked any details, please chime in with any additional thoughts.

I am open to any personal feedback or questions on this topic as well.
Feel free to PM me if you want to contact me personally on any of these issues.

We very much appreciate the patience and consideration that the kite community has maintained as we work through these discussions. As Sheri has commented over and over, a unified organization or governing body is what represents a user group most effectively (not overwhelming opinions or comments from individuals).

Thanks
Pepi

endoshred · Since 22 May 2006 232 Posts HR Stoked

to help those of us not in attendance at the meeting, is it possible to further elaborate your general impressions of the early consensus related to possible launch locations or senarios for kiters and windsurfers? is it possible to post photos showing the suggested launch sites during high and low water times? have you walked the entire delta? doing so this past weekend i was startled by its vast size and how far the walk is from any the north edge. i am so psyched all the leaders are working together proposing early solutions before the winds start up!