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MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO PARK COMMISSION <br /> Monday,July 7,2014 <br /> 7:00 o'clock p.m. <br /> costs of maintenance or replacement, and because the use of the docks in swimming beach areas has such <br /> a narrow use, Staff felt docks should not be installed in swimming beach areas. <br /> Gaffron noted former Public Works Director Struve made a recommendation to the City Council this past <br /> winter to only install docks at public boat landing areas because the docks serve a purpose and can be <br /> easily used by the general public. The City Council agreed with that recommendation. This spring the <br /> Public Works Department only installed docks in designated boat landing areas and did not install docks <br /> at any beach or fire road access area. <br /> Gaffron stated currently the City has four beaches,with three of them being located on Lake Minnetonka <br /> and one on Long Lake.At the present time there are three docks installed; one on Stubbs Bay, one at <br /> Loma Linda on North Arm, and then a dock located on the other side of North Arm. Gaffron indicated he <br /> has no idea why the dock at Carman Street was not installed other than the memorandum that says it is <br /> not a boat landing. Gaffron stated two of the city docks are not used for boat launching. <br /> Gaffron stated he is not aware of what the rationale was for not installing the dock on Carman other than <br /> what is contained in the memorandum. <br /> Meyers asked if the residents use this area as a beach. <br /> Palmer stated the area was rip-rapped and never removed,which makes it difficult to use as a beach,but <br /> that people do swim and wade near the lakeshore. Palmer stated a number of people use it to launch <br /> canoes and kayaks. <br /> Julie Gatehouse stated her 15-year-old son has a little Johnny boat and that he would launch it from there. <br /> Gatehouse stated since it became questionable after the rip-rap was placed there on whether they could <br /> use the access, he stopped doing that. In addition,the neighbor to the right has planted grass and <br /> maintains it so it looks like his yard, which has made people hesitant to use the access lane. <br /> Gatehouse indicated she has read different things that say they are allowed to walk across that piece of <br /> grass down to the dock but that she has told her son not to do it since that neighbor does not like people <br /> walking on that piece of property. Gatehouse stated now that the dock is gone, it makes it seem like the <br /> area is not available to the neighbors at all. <br /> Palmer stated it used to be a fire lane road and that the neighbor made it appear as though it is part of his <br /> property. <br /> Meyers commented there are a number of fire lanes within Orono that are owned by the City and that the <br /> Park Commission has discussed those at length in the past. Meyers noted the fire lanes are not always <br /> well marked. <br /> Meyers stated at this time the Park Commission is attempting to arrive at what defines a beach and what <br /> defines a boat landing. Meyers noted there are some people who are not in support of docks at the fire <br /> lanes. Meyers stated if it is a swimming area,there can be no boats. <br /> Gaffron stated the actual physical docks are only located at places that have physical access for a vehicle <br /> to drop a boat in from a trailer. Gaffron noted the Carman Street access is different and is not a real boat <br /> launch area. <br /> Page 4 of 11 <br />