Access launches conflict

EOWYN LeMAY IVEY-Frontiersman reporter

WASILLA -- A make-shift boat launch on Lake Lucille is causing headaches for neighbors, forcing the City of Wasilla to consider closing it down.

A city lot located off Susitna Avenue in Wasilla has become a popular place for boaters because it is the only free, public launch on Lake Lucille.

But local residents point out it isn't a true boat launch but instead an unregulated public access that has become increasingly popular with boaters, and they argue the traffic and free-for-all use are causing problems for both themselves and the lake.

"It's just being way overused for what it is," resident Randi Robison told the Wasilla City Council earlier this summer. She lives adjacent to the city lot and said a growing number of boaters are parking their vehicles and trailers on her property, blocking her driveway and leaving behind garbage.

But in addition to these annoyances, Robison and several other area residents have told the council they are concerned about the affects on the lake. Robison said people come to the public access to wash their boats to get ready for the season and appear to be letting antifreeze and other chemicals run into the lake. At the same time, sometimes as many as 40 or 50 boaters a day use the lot to launch their boats, according to neighbors, and are eroding the banks and disturbing wildlife.

When residents first brought their concerns to the city in May, it appeared Wasilla might immediately address the problem by putting up blockades at the lot and making it impossible for boaters to use it as a launch.

"This is the only public boat launch, but that doesn't mean we can shut it off," Public Works Director Don Shiesl told the council.

Several council members visited the launch this past month and said they supported this option.

"It's not a boat launch. It is a public access," Councilwoman Colleen Sullivan-Leonard said at a recent meeting. "I feel the problem is totally out of hand." She suggested the lot be blocked in a way that people walking in or carrying a canoe or other small boat could still use the public access, but vehicles wouldn't be able to back trailers loaded with large boats into the water.

Under the mayor's direction, however, the council decided to postpone any action and instead schedule a public meeting for 7 p.m. Thursday, July 17, where residents, boaters and others can share their concerns and the council and mayor can discuss their options.

"We have not said we will close that boat launch because that is the only public access to the lake … But we are looking at other alternative solutions," Mayor Dianne Keller said at a recent meeting. "I feel the problem is that if we try to close that area off, people are going to try to seek access to that lake any way they can, which is going to make the problem worse than it is today."

Keller said when she talked with other residents who say they like being able to use the free launch to access the lake, she came to the conclusion that there are varying opinions on the matter.

"I think we need some clear guidance from the people on the lake," Keller said. She said in addition to looking at building another launch or changing the access at the Susitna Avenue lot, the city and lake residents could also consider a lake management plan or other types of guidelines, such as limiting boat motor size.

In the meantime, however, neighbors have continued to urge the city to address the problem, and soon.

"Something has to be done to alleviate the congestion and traffic at the ramp," resident John Dewar told the council recently. "Nobody is in charge. Everybody can do whatever they want."