10-23-2000 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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• • What*s Happened Since 1Q85 • As the neighborhood covenants expired, a few of the neighbors who had lakefront footage and also a dock in the channel sold the channel docks to friends. ■ There are a total of 5 docks now owned by non-residents. ■ Since .-985, there has been a gradual but steady increase in the size of boats moored at the docks, the amount of boat usage, and the number of cars and amount of traffic due to the non-resident boats. ■ The parking and safety issues became so severe this past summer that the city posted the County Road 19 in front of the non-resident boat docks as a no parking zone because excess car parking resulting from the non-resident docks created a major safety issue. ■ There has also been a substantial increase in the infrastructure of the non-resident boat docks N>ith the addition, since 1985, of electricity, running water, a flagpole, burglar alarms, high intensity anti-crime lights, gravel car parks and other amenities. • Along with the substantial increase in boat size has come a significant change in boat usage. In 1985, the non-resident dock owners were using their boats in the same manner as the neighbors, which was for recreational boating. In the past several years, however, as new owners have come in and established owners have purchased larger boats, the boats have come to be used for weekend or overnight accommodation. Generally, a number of non resident boat owners stay on their boats from Friday to Sunday. This results in cars being parked for the whole weekend. While general!)’ boat owners do not spend the night tied up to the dock, it is not uncommon for owners to sleep in their boats while they are tied up at the docks. There have also been a number of instances of partying on boats and loud music on boats late at night that disturb the peace and quiet of the neighborhood. • There have been a number of break-ins on the non-resident boats. One non-resident boat . owner put a motion sensor burglar alarm on his boat when he went to the 1996 Summer Olympics. For the three weeks they were gone, the alarm went off many times each day at all hours. Since the dock owner was not from the neighborhood we had no way to reach them and instead were a\\’akened every night when the alarm went off. • Over the past few years some of the non-resident dock owners have used their slips as rental property. In 1999, at least two of the slips were rented. Current Use Compared to 198.5 Resolution The Conditional Use Permits were granted for the four docks in 1985 based on the assumption that granting a Conditional Use Permit for docks would “not to be detrirnental to the health, safety or general welfare of the public, would not adversely affect light, air norpose a fire hazard or other danger to neighboring properties nor \sill it depreciate surrounding property values and that the proposed level of use of the property will be in keeping with the intent and objectives of the Zoning Code and Comprehensive Plan of the City.” Given the significant changes since 1985, we feel the conditions set forth in the Conditional Use Permit no longer are valid in a number of important areas as follows: • “Docks w’oiild not adversely affect light” - In the past few years, a high intensity anti-crime light has been installed by one of the non-resident dock owners. In addition to the very’ negative message an anti-crime light communicates for a neighborhood, this bright light that burns all night is a substantial and adverse increase in light in the area.