The residents of Grohman Creek are looking for a permanent place to dock their boats near Nelson.
The primarily boat access community located west of the city, is hoping to fund new docks both in Grohman Creek and near Cottonwood Creek and the transfer station.
“I think that this would be a very positive step for both the Grohman Creek residents as well as the City of Nelson,” said Ken Plautz, president of the Grohman Creek Docking Society.
“It would be a dock completely funded by ourselves that we would like to put in place. It would cost the taxpayers nothing. The foreshore could be charged and maybe a little income made for the City of Nelson for this process.”
The society made a presentation to council at Monday’s committee of the whole meeting requesting the City’s support in establishing a dock in Nelson.
Plautz said the crossing is particularly hazardous during the winter months as the free City of Nelson dock becomes icy.
“We are hoping to increase safety for ourselves especially in the winter months,” he said. “We would have a lot less boat traffic, which would mean a cleaner environment, less fuel burned and a lot safer crossing for our residents in the winter months.”
Currently the residents of Grohman Creek use the City dock near the Prestige, are members of the Launch Club or in cases of emergency will park illegally at the float plane dock.
“The public wharf beside the Prestige gets quite full,” said Plautz. “It’s hard to tell people they aren’t allowed to park there when they have to go to the hospital or to go get groceries. We’re all people of Nelson. It would kind of be like telling people living on the North Shore or 6 Mile to say sorry you can’t come to town we don’t have room for you. We are in the area and we would like to consider ourselves to be part of the area. We are hoping people can help incorporate that into the picture.”
There is also interest in the foreshore dock from Baldface Lodge, who uses the Grohman Creek dock.
“They generally fly their guests in twice a week, which is Thursdays and Sundays,” said Plautz. “They take 36 guests in each time, which is a total of 72 skiers a week, plus a dozen of their people change hands for crew changes and they move groceries, garbage and all of that through lake access. They use the Grohman Creek dock on the Grohman Creek side and have an interest in the dock that we are requesting foreshore on the Nelson side as well.”
The docking society has been working with the Regional District of Central Kootenay on a study that Plautz thinks will pass with little resistence.
“It seems like a win-win given that we’re paying for this process,” he said. “It’s not going to be costing others money and it’s going to increase safety dramatically. We’re hoping now City of Nelson will consider this in the waterfront plan and with this we hope that the umbrella of finance with Regional District will pay for both sites so I wanted to introduce this to the City.”
The Grohman Creek dock is estimated to cost between $105,000 to 109,000.
“The dock on the Nelson side of the lake we currently have the availability to buy a dock with pilings that would cost us approximately $36,000 for a dock with a 50 year life expectancy,” he said.
A decision was not made by council but Plautz said the society will proceed with building the Grohman Creek dock for now.