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Parks division completes pier replacements and pavilion work; officials note mooring policy questions
Summary
Parks Division staff reported completed pier replacements at River Springs and Fox Harbor, ongoing work at Saint George’s Island and a new pavilion at Carver Heights, while flagging long-term mooring at public landings as an unresolved policy issue.
David Guiler, Parks Division staff, updated the advisory board on pier replacements, a new pavilion and volunteer projects at the Dec. 17 meeting.
Guiler said replacement piers at River Springs Public Landing and Fox Harbor Public Landing are complete and that the River Springs pier is drivable — a feature that includes curbing to protect vehicles — to support watermen loading and unloading. Saint George’s Island pier work is in progress and about 15 percent complete at the time of the meeting; Guiler estimated that work would likely be finished in early January. Piney Point Landing is planned for replacement but design and engineering have not yet been released and the project may be a year away.
Guiler told the board that many of the county’s public-landing piers are 30 to 40 years old and that a steady program of grant-funded replacements over the coming years should bring all major piers into recently rebuilt condition within about a decade.
Guiler also reported the installation of a new 20-by-24 pavilion with picnic tables at Carver Heights Community Park near the playground; sidewalks remain to be installed. In addition, he described an Eagle Scout project that added roofs to dugouts at Cecil Park’s 90-foot field; the scout raised funds and oversaw planning with Department approval.
Guiler raised an ongoing management issue: some boats have been moored at public landings for longer periods than intended, a longstanding informal practice dating back decades. He said there is no written policy covering long-term mooring at public landings and staff are working to engage with boat owners about changing expectations as county use increases.
Board members asked questions about pier features and pavilion size; Guiler said funding constraints shaped pavilion dimensions and that the department sometimes assists with materials when funding is available. No formal policy change was adopted at the meeting; Guiler said the mooring issue is under review.
