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MINUTES OF THE <br />ORONO PARK COMMISSION <br />Monday, November 4, 2019 <br />6:30 o’clock p.m. <br />_____________________________________________________________________________________ <br /> <br />Page 4 of 9 <br /> <br />encourage the Park Commission to act in two ways. The first is to reject altogether the proposal for any <br />type of building at Summit Park and the second is to reject any type of proposal to expand the rowing <br />club at this site. <br /> <br />Feldman noted she also has friends on Long Lake who are opposed to the proposal. If the proposal goes <br />through, it would change the nature of Summit Beach for the benefit of the rowing club but would be a <br />detriment to the residents. The neighbors appreciate the smaller scale presence of the rowers on the lake <br />and Long Lake is a recreational lake for fishing, paddle boarding, pontooning, skiing, swimming and <br />other activities. <br /> <br />Feldman stated as a registered nurse, from a public health and safety perspective, expanding the club <br />would be a very poor decision and poses a danger to people enjoying the beach and swimming area. <br />Since she has lived in her house, there has been a swimming section for people of all ages and <br />neighboring dogs enjoying the lake. The people visiting the park ranges from tiny children to groups of <br />elderly people out swimming. Boats will come down to this end of the lake to anchor down and relax and <br />swim and jump off the rope swing, which is a fun feature of the lake. Lots of high schoolers enjoy using <br />it and other people picnic there and lay out in hammocks. Summit Beach is a relaxing and peaceful beach <br />that the neighbors hope the City continues nurturing. Placing a boathouse at the beach would be <br />dangerous to swimmers, boaters, floaters, and families. <br /> <br />Feldman noted the rowers were asked to change their path to avoid the swimming area. Besides being a <br />concerned neighbor, she is also an unofficial nature lover. Going forward with any type of expansion <br />plan would not only affect recreation at the beach but would also destroy a nature preserve and large <br />grassy area. The world needs more open, quiet and natural areas. There are wild turkeys that flock there, <br />eagles, deer, and other animals that enjoy this area. <br /> <br />Feldman noted since they have lived in their home, the rowing club received approval for longer hours <br />and that she would like to see the rowing hours restricted back to what they were previously. This past <br />summer the rowing club was outside of their expanded hours and it is difficult to see the boats against the <br />setting sun. Currently the rowing club has a home outside Birches, which is an ideal location. Birches <br />places a restriction on the number of rowers and it is a safe place for the rowers to go in and out of the <br />lake since there is no beach there where there will be swimmers and other people enjoying the water. <br /> <br />Feldman encouraged the Park Commission to reject any proposal to place a boathouse on Summit Beach <br />and any expansion of the rowing club. <br /> <br />Norm Hammond, 450 East long Lake Road, noted he has resided at his house for more than 50 years, and <br />that he would request Summit Beach be maintained as a natural setting as a neighborhood beach, which is <br />more or less the way the beach and park has been maintained over the past 50 years. <br /> <br />Hammond indicated he does agree with the comments of the previous speaker regarding construction of <br />permanent structures on the Summit Beach property. People come to Summit Beach to enjoy the natural <br />environment, and that he and his family would like to strongly encourage the City to not allow any <br />expansion of the park. <br /> <br />Betsy Johnson, 460 Long Lake Road East, stated the structure they are proposing to construct would be <br />right in front of her house. The building is proposed to be 9,000 square feet and her house is 7,000 square <br />feet. With this structure in front of her home, she might be able to see the lake if she is upstairs looking