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Commission weighs kayak and SUP launch options; town will explore private‑land partnerships
Summary
Commissioners discussed multiple possible launch sites — locations near the Corinthian/Cherry Street area, the China Cabin and Richardson Bay — and staff said the most immediately promising location is behind 41 Main Street, which would require outreach to the Corinthian yacht club and potentially dock rehabilitation.
The Parks, Open Space and Trails Commission reviewed options May 20 for creating a kayak/sup (stand‑up paddleboard) launch and decided to pursue preliminary outreach with private landowners and nearby jurisdictions rather than advance a single preferred public site.
Staff outlined four possibilities: (1) a launch on the town side behind 41 Main Street near the Corinthian Yacht Club; (2) a launch coordinated with Belvedere on or near the Main Street bridge (Belvedere declined further discussion at this time); (3) a potential cooperative use of the China Cabin/landmarks area; and (4) sites in Richardson Bay. David (staff member) told commissioners the Shoreline Park/Elephant Rock area is restricted by deed and cannot host new structures, eliminating that earlier option.
David and the town manager said the site behind 41 Main Street is promising because it offers a calm bay launch and parking nearby, but it would require agreement with the Corinthian club and work to rehab an existing floating dock. The China Cabin option has the advantage of existing decking, but staff warned it would likely require conditional‑use review and cooperation with Belvedere Landmarks and the Belvedere planning commission.
Several public commenters and commissioners raised tide, mudflat and bird‑protection concerns for Richardson Bay locations. Evan Seagull, a resident, noted Richardson Bay’s tidal flats and ferry traffic and cautioned that launches there may encounter mud and seasonality restrictions.
The commission instructed staff to pursue initial discussions with the Corinthian area property owners and to continue exploring options; members emphasized that any launch planning should consider boating traffic, shoreline habitat (including migratory bird periods) and parking impacts. Staff said the next step is outreach to the Corinthian Yacht Club and other stakeholders to identify feasible easement, docking or cooperative‑use arrangements.
No formal vote was taken; the item was discussed as a planning and outreach direction.
