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Old Town seeks WIF funds to replace aging ramp and docks below Albany Falls Dam
Summary
Old Town Mayor Lonnie Orr asked the Bonner County Waterways Advisory Committee to back a two‑phase project to replace nearly 30‑year‑old docks and later extend the boat ramp; phase‑one docks are budgeted at about $141,000 with a $16,000 local match.
Lonnie Orr, mayor of Old Town, told the Bonner County Waterways Advisory Committee that the town’s public boat ramp and adjoining docks — installed in the late 1990s — have developed holes in decking and failing floats and should be replaced rather than repaired.
Orr said the site is the only public launch located below Albany Falls Dam in Idaho and receives heavy use from recreational boaters, swimmers and public safety responders. He proposed a two‑phase approach: replace the docks in phase one and pursue a ramp extension in phase two to account for water‑level fluctuations of three to four feet that can strand boats at low pool.
Committee members asked about ownership and footprint changes; Orr confirmed Old Town owns the parking and ramp property. The committee discussed moving docks laterally to place them closer (roughly within a foot) to the ramp and adding a separate small non‑motorized kayak landing. Clerk Alicia Armentrada and other members said the dock layout would not add slips but would improve access for kayaks and reduce conflicts between motorized and non‑motorized users.
Budget details presented in the meeting showed the docks portion (phase one) as about $141,000 with a local match of $16,000. Oler and multiple committee members described the two‑phase split as prudent and appropriate under the grant’s enabling language, which emphasizes making and improving boat ramps and promoting safety.
Orr said Old Town collected roughly 30–40 community comment cards indicating support for the project. Committee members suggested Old Town coordinate with the Department of Lands and other state contacts to complete application paperwork; they did not require applicants to reappear in January if the scope and dollar amount remain unchanged.
The committee encouraged the town to pursue the application and indicated it would place Old Town’s project on the January action agenda for formal county endorsement ahead of the January 31 application deadline.
