By Dan Shriner
Review Editor
Lake Orion Village officials are considering a plan to install at least six public boat docking stations at Pelton’s Point, allowing boaters to park their boats and stroll into downtown to shop and eat.
A timetable as to when it may occur is still undecided but village officials said they plan to work out details in the coming weeks and months.
Rob Cavanaugh, chairman of the village parks and recreation committee, told village council members last week in a report that the plan could include docking for up to six boats at a time on floating docks at the site, which are to the south of Green’s Park and along Lapeer Rd.
The property is owned by the village.
Cavanaugh said residents on Lake Orion have overwhelmingly supported a plan to install docks there. He said there are 825 homes on the lake and said he has found that about nine out of 10 residents he has surveyed have said they would like to be able to dock their boat there and walk into downtown.
He noted that in the 2006-2011 Village Parks and Recreation Master Plan, there were plans for docks and the idea has met with approval from most residents.
‘A majority of residents on the lake want this,? Cavanaugh said.
In an unofficial poll this week on The Lake Orion Review’s Facebook page, asking what residents thought about having docks at the site, the support was a universal ‘yes.?
‘Yes. That would be fantastic to go into town,? said Brian Sylvain, a lake resident.
‘Yes! Been saying that for years,? echoed Michael S. Kellar.
There were some suggestions on the Facebook page about the need perhaps for meters at the docks so that boaters would have time limits set on how long they could dock their boat. Those concerns were also raised by village officials and Cavanaugh at the village council meeting last week.
The Winfire Company, owns the property to the south of the proposed docks, and the owner has agreed to donate $20,000 for the improvements with the stipulation that the amount is matched by the village.
The Lake Orion Downtown Development Authority has pledged $10,000 for the project, according to executive director Suzanne Perrault. The money would be used to get the project going but the DDA would not be responsible for future maintenance or improvements, Perrault said.
Cavanaugh said there would need to be discussions about how to charge for docking that could cover maintenance expenses. It was suggested that docking passes could be purchased or there could be a metering system. He said the village would need to discuss how to enforce and monitor any abuses, such as persons seeking to keep their boats there overnight or for extended periods of time.
Cavanaugh and village officials said discussions also would need to learn about liability costs.
The docks would not interfere with swimming or other family-friendly programs at Green’s Park, officials said.
Cavanaugh said there have been some initial estimates about low-maintenance floating docks from a company based in Clarkston. He said the company claims the closed-cell foam-filled docks have a 35-year life and can remain in the water through winter. The decks on the docks are made from aluminum.
The initial proposal calls for stable in-ground structures that the floating docks would attach to. He also said the shoreline would need stabilization, perhaps with large boulders in place. A boardwalk could be constructed there and there could be a location for pedestrians to cross Lapeer Rd. into downtown.
There also would need to be signs at the site, directing boaters into downtown and detailing any rules, regarding the amount of time the boats can be docked there, officials said.
Several village officials said they hoped that the fees charged to use the docks would cover maintenance of the structures. An annual fee, such as is charged to use Green’s Park, is an option, officials said. Meters that resemble auto parking meters are another option, they said.
Council member John Ranville said there would need to be time limits set on how long a boater could use the docks and it would be necessary to have docks that required very little maintenance. That enforcement could be up the responsibility of the village’s police department, officials said. Those responsibilities would need to be discussed with the police department, they said.
Council member Dave Churchill said it is important to make sure that the village’s existing park facilities are maintained properly first.
‘There is so much that needs to be done. We need to prioritize,? he said.
Village officials asked City Manager Darwin McClary if a timeline could be in place for the project.
McClary said there needs to be more planning to determine the costs and what could be constructed there. He said maintenance estimates also need to be determined before a timeline could be set.
‘We need to look closely at what improvements need to be made,? McClary said, before the project moves forward.