AVALON – The kayak park at the southwest corner of 57th Street is used by residents and visitors as a place to picnic, exercise, and to store and launch kayaks. Over time, however, the storage of kayaks has gotten out of hand.
Originally constructed to house 186 kayaks, the number has quickly ballooned to over 300, disrupting neighbors and public works officials. To help remedy the situation, Avalon Recreation Advisory Committee crafted an ordinance that would regulate the number of kayaks stored at the park, while simultaneously requiring those kayaks to be registered with the borough.
The ordinance, introduced during council’s Feb. 26 work session, has been in development over the past several months.
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” said Recreation Specialist Susan Ellenberg, as she referenced a calendar filled with photographs of kayaks. “(The colors) brighten the spirits of everybody who looks at it, however, if you are a neighbor of the 57th Street and Ocean Drive park, those colors might bring along some mixed reactions and rather unpleasant memories.”
Ellenberg said that during summer, kayaks have been illegally placed in the center of the storage racks, resulting in safety concerns and preventing public works crews from properly maintaining the vegetation.
The racks were designed to hold six kayaks at a time. During peak usage, visitors to the park managed to cram up to 12 kayaks per rack. Ellenberg said it was common for kayakers to remove their kayaks to use, and upon their return, find their storage spot had been taken. “They had no way to get their kayak home and they were quite frustrated,” said Ellenberg.
Incidences of kayakers trespassing on neighboring properties to use outdoor showers have also been reported.
The ordinance proposes a non-fee kayak registration storage pilot program for 2014, and would only be available to borough property owners and residents or those with at least a three-month lease.
According to the draft, registration can be done online or in-person at Community Hall beginning April 1. The storage season would run from the first Saturday in May through Oct. 31.
Ellenberg proposed a two-kayak limit per household. Each registered kayak would be given an identification sticker. The storage racks would be identified by letter, and within each rack, the berth would have a number. Each kayak would be assigned to a specific location on the rack.
Impoundment rules and regulation would remain the same and be strictly enforced. Recreation employees would be tasked with reviewing the kayak park multiple times a day. Non-registered kayaks would be removed and owners would be fined.
Councilwoman Nancy Hudanich proposed that the ordinance make it clear that no kayak should be left unattended or stored on the ground at any time. “We have to be very explicit. They take advantage of this,” said Hudanich.
Hudanich also proposed a few other changes that would help clarify the registration process. “I just want it to work because the residents need to enjoy the beauty of that park, and so do our vacationers,” said Hudanich.
Council Vice President Charles Covington said it was a good ordinance and thanked Ellenberg and the recreation department for preparing the draft.
“It’s sad for me to be reading this because when we opened this kayak park up we thought we were really doing a great thing, not only for the residents but for the vacationers. It’s just sad that it’s been so abused,” said Covington. “But from what’s been going on the last couple of years, there’s no alternative.”
Council stressed that the launch ramp would continue to be open to the public throughout the year. The proposed ordinance deals strictly with the storage area of the park.
“The whole idea behind that park originally was to make it open,” said Councilman John McCorristin. “But it just got over abused, especially if you were one of the neighbors.”
McCorriston said, moving forward, council may need to look at a secondary location to store kayaks.
To contact Kirby Reed, email kreed@cmcherald.com.
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