Vehicles won’t be blocked from using a makeshift boat launch in Norglenwold, the village’s council decided.
A proposal had been made to restrict access from May 30 to Aug. 31 to the undeveloped road allowance that has been used for years as an informal launching point on Sylvan Lake.
Complaints about traffic and parking and questions about the environmental impact of using the spot to launch boats prompted a proposal to restrict vehicles, although foot traffic would be allowed.
However, the idea was opposed by many village residents. At a public hearing last month 13 spoke against limiting access while four were in favour. Of 17 letters, 14 were against and three for.
Village Coun. Michael Dawe said the three-person council unanimously voted on Friday not to restrict access.
“An awful lot of people in the village, particularly people who lived quite close to that road allowance, didn’t want to have any restrictions put on the access so we didn’t do it,” said Dawe.
About 25 people came out to see the vote. The public hearing a month earlier drew about twice that number, he estimated.
“The consensus was a heck of a lot of people didn’t wish us to proceed, so we didn’t.”
Among the issues at the site, is a lack of parking because it is not a formal boat launch.
“There are “no parking” signs all along there but we have had people that bring in great big boats and trailers and they park right there,” said Dawe. “Sometimes when they park their trailer or their vehicle it juts into the main east-west road.”
A bylaw officer will be visiting the site in coming weeks to remind those using the road allowance that they can’t leave their vehicles and trailers there.
pcowley@www.reddeeradvocate.com