Planning commission approves Dixie Belle dock use, limits dock extension to 20 feet and requires parking dedication

The Lake Havasu City Planning and Zoning Commission on April 3 approved a conditional use permit (ID 19-1931) allowing the Dixie Belle tour boat to use an upgraded dock at 1477 Queens Bay at the London Bridge Resort and to allow Waterbuzz Flyboarding operations at the same location.

Commissioners approved staff recommendations with two modifications: the dock may be enlarged by “at least an additional 10 feet but not more than 20 feet” to accommodate the Dixie Belle, and the previously approved conditional-use permit for the Dixie Belle at the site across the channel would be relinquished. The motion passed after a vote; the commission did not read an itemized roll-call tally into the record.

City staff presented the request and told the commission the application is similar to a 2017 approval for a large tour boat operating elsewhere on the lake but “this request is also accompanied by a proposed dock addition, of 20 feet up to 20 feet. At this point that hasn't been approved. So we modified that to read at least 10 feet” to ensure the dock can serve the vessel, staff said. Staff recommended a set of conditions including obtaining all necessary permits, conformance with Lake Havasu City Fire Code for fueling, fire extinguishers on the dock, prohibition of vessel repair outside routine maintenance, passenger loading and unloading only at the approved location, limits on signage, requirement that the “dinner crew” be anchored outside the channel to minimize traffic impacts, that the London Bridge Resort dedicate on-site parking to address added demand, city business and TPT licenses, office-based business transactions, and hours of operation limited to 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

Christina Gallo, assistant general manager at London Bridge Resort, told the commission the resort would rent dock space to the Dixie Belle and would continue to own and operate the dock. “It would still need a max of 20,” she said of the dock extension while explaining lawyers were coordinating with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on final length. When asked if the resort would accept a condition capping the dock extension at 20 feet, Gallo nodded and said, “I would say that's fair. Yes.”

Scott Mitchell of Waterbuzz Flyboarding described operational limits and safety controls for flyboarding. “Our operator on the ski is a master certified operator, and they're the only ones who can control height, speed, distance, where they go. We control where those people fly at all times,” Mitchell said, adding that Waterbuzz commits to staying in a defined quadrant and to coordinating with other dock users.

During public comment, resident Larry Ekman raised concerns about parking and safety, saying the area lacks public parking to support an additional large vessel and that the Dixie Belle “is a huge boat” that could project well into the channel. “We don't need 2 boats that size in this channel,” Ekman said. Staff and the applicant acknowledged the parking issue and recommended the resort dedicate on-site spaces as a permit condition; staff said the applicant had not yet specified which spaces would be dedicated but that the resort has substantial on- and off-site parking to address the demand.

The commission's motion — made by Commissioner Still and seconded by Commissioner McGowan — approved staff recommendations with the two modifications listed above. The motion passed and the commission forwarded the land-use action as approved under the stated conditions.

The city emphasized that any additional permits required by state or federal agencies (for example, the Army Corps of Engineers) must be obtained before construction or dock modification begins. The commission's approval tied municipal conditions (parking, licenses, hours, fire-safety compliance and operational limits) to those external permitting processes.

The commission moved on to other agenda items after the vote.