Greenville Town Commons Boat Closure - Update!!

Fish Head

Eight Pointer
I've been burning up the phone the last week or so, and have made a little progress in getting our message out regarding the Greenville Town Commons Boat Ramp Closure, which was effective yesterday, June 1. The ramp has been closed permanently for motor boat access.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1531149643603053/?ref=bookmarks

IMPORTANT UPDATE:
Mark Your Calendars for Wednesday, June 14, 5:30 at the City Council Chambers, 3rd Floor of City Hall, 200 West 5th Street. Our group has been added to the agenda of the Greenville Parks & Rec Commission's Monthly Meeting. This is our initial opportunity to voice our opinion and concern regarding the loss of access to the Tar River North of Greenville.

THIS IS A RIVER ACCESS & SAFETY ISSUE!!

Our group will be meeting on Monday, June 12, at 6:00 at my office (605 Lynndale Court Suite C, Gville, 27858) to coordinate our effort before the Commission meeting on Wednesday.

PLEASE SHARE THIS POST WITH LIKE MINDED FOLKS WHO WANT TO JOIN OUR EFFORT IN REOPENING THE TOWN COMMONS BOAT RAMP ACCESS TO MOTORIZED BOATS.

If you have any questions or would like more information about our group, pleae call me at 252.202.9761. A big thank you to all of the folks that have already contacted me and joined our cause!

John M. Person
 

Fish Head

Eight Pointer
But I'll bet you can still launch a Kayak there, right??

Oh Yeah, of course.

The reasons that have been documented in a memo from Gary Fenton, Director of Parks & Recreation, to the City Council in recommending closure are as follows:

1. The river is shallow near the TC and not navigable by motor boats, and the Army Corp of Engineers has no plans to dredge the river.
My Response : The river is shallow and has always been, but small boats have no problem navigating the river. I do it all the time, and have since 1986. The Army Corp of Engineers has
NEVER dredged the Tar River around the TC. NEVER.
2. Traffic & parking is a problem, especially trucks with boat trailers.
My response: Kayakers use trailers as well, so leaving it open for kayakers & canoes will not lessen traffic congestion or parking.
3. The increased use of the new kid's park has created a safety issue with traffic and pedestrians.
My response: It sure has because they didn't plan for additional parking when they built the playground. & of course boat owners with trailers are much more likely to hit a pedestrian in the
parking lot than other drivers (sarcasm dripping from my lips).

Bottom line, they have closed the ramp to motorized boats and it was a backroom political deal. None of their stated reasons are valid. In fact, their reasons are completely bunk. & let's not forget there was NO PUBLIC INPUT in regards to this decision being made.

The ramp was constructed for small boat use back in the 70's, and now we are the very population (only population) being excluded from using the facility.
Makes a lot of sense, huh?
 
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nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
They don't take into consideration or don't want to recognize the most of the boats launched from that ramp are small craft and have no issue in shallow water in the first place. They are just trying to use that as a ploy to bolster their cause.
 

Fish Head

Eight Pointer
They don't take into consideration or don't want to recognize the most of the boats launched from that ramp are small craft and have no issue in shallow water in the first place. They are just trying to use that as a ploy to bolster their cause.
Absolutely the truth.
 

snakeskinner

Twelve Pointer
Don't have a dog in this hunt but wondering if there is anything wrong with using the terminal road launch 4 miles away?
 

ridenismo

Six Pointer
the problem with port terminal? The extra 3.95 mile drive from where my boat is parked compared to town commons.
 

Fish Head

Eight Pointer
Don't have a dog in this hunt but wondering if there is anything wrong with using the terminal road launch 4 miles away?
It takes a small boat 15-25 minutes to run from Port T to the TC. Some of the best fishing grounds & duck hunting on the Tar is 3-4 miles upstream from TC. That equates to a 30-45 minute ride, one way, from PT. This is an access & safety issue. If you get stranded upstream from TC, you're going to have a heck of a time getting assistance if it takes help 40 minutes to get to you.
In a era when the state & local municipalities are expanding access to outdoor resources, this is a move backwards by the City of Greenville.
 
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Fish Head

Eight Pointer
the problem with port terminal? The extra 3.95 mile drive from where my boat is parked compared to town commons.
I Hope you will join our group, Ridenismo. We need all the bodies we can muster up to show for the Commission meeting!
 

Firefly

Old Mossy Horns
I wish you success in getting the boat ramp open to motor boat use again...Lets see if the commissioners will listen to you and others, I would almost bet they won't but I guess we shall see..
 

CountryRN

Twelve Pointer
Best of luck FishHead. I fought the city and school district over an issue last year. I ended up taking the issue through a number of public meetings with 90 percent of my neighborhood fighting with me. We still lost and the school now has a two story farm shed style car port for parking busses under across the street from my house.
I found that once the local government has their mind set on something, they usually don't change.
I do hope you can get this changed. Can the NCWRC do anything to help since it deals with public boating access?
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Best of luck FishHead. I fought the city and school district over an issue last year. I ended up taking the issue through a number of public meetings with 90 percent of my neighborhood fighting with me. We still lost and the school now has a two story farm shed style car port for parking busses under across the street from my house.
I found that once the local government has their mind set on something, they usually don't change.
I do hope you can get this changed. Can the NCWRC do anything to help since it deals with public boating access?
Most likely they are going to remain neutral.
 

BR549

Twelve Pointer
From: info@citizensscience.org
Date: June 3, 2017 at 1:27:41 PM EDT
To: gfenton@greenvillenc.gov
Subject: Formal Open Records Request -


Mr. Fenton,

Please provide any / all dredging funding request by you, staff and or any other entity requesting same on behalf of the Greenville, North Carolina municipality.

The above request is be limited to any and all dredging request specifically for the public boat ramp located on the Greenville riverfront.

Additionally, please provide the source of any federal funding since the Ramps inception, that may have been utilized in part, to construct, maintain, re-open, restore... or for other purposes benefiting the above said public boat ramp and Greenville's many users.

This request should be inclusive of federal hurricane clean-up funding and or snagging funds.

Given subsequent facts related to the above, please advise if your recent boat ramp closure action is in compliance with 50 C.F.R. 80.

Finally, please provide the distance from Greenville's recent closed boat ramp to the next closest boat ramp that services the same public trust watershed (river).

Thank you.
 
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jab0106

Ten Pointer
my .02, the city's thoughts: the boat ramp ruins the aesthetics of the TC and there are not enough users of the boat ramp to have issue with the closure.

and, they are probably aligned with 95% of the town's citizens.




IMO it sucks to close any ramp for any reason once it's there. improvement makes more sense than closure usually. but, I have different motives than greenville commissioners.
 

Fish Head

Eight Pointer
From: info@citizensscience.org
Date: June 3, 2017 at 1:27:41 PM EDT
To: gfenton@greenvillenc.gov
Subject: Formal Open Records Request -


Mr. Fenton,

Please provide any / all dredging funding request by you, staff and or any other entity requesting same on behalf of the Greenville, North Carolina municipality.

The above request is be limited to any and all dredging request specifically for the public boat ramp located on the Greenville riverfront.

Additionally, please provide the source of any federal funding since the Ramps inception, that may have been utilized in part, to construct, maintain, re-open, restore... or for other purposes benefiting the above said public boat ramp and Greenville's many users.

This request should be inclusive of federal hurricane clean-up funding and or snagging funds.

Given subsequent facts related to the above, please advise if your recent boat ramp closure action is in compliance with 50 C.F.R. 80.

Finally, please provide the distance from Greenville's recent closed boat ramp to the next closest boat ramp that services the same public trust watershed (river).

Thank you.

Thank you BR549!! I'm guessing you sent this to Parks & Recs, right? That's awesome!!
 

Fish Head

Eight Pointer
Another Reminder!

Tonight, June 12, at 6:00 we will be having a preop meeting at my office in Greenville NC. My address is 605 Lynndale Court, Suite C, Greenville, NC 27858.

The meeting with the Park & Rec Commission is on Wednesday, June 14, at 5:30. We are on the agenda! The meeting will be held at the Greenville City Council Chambers. The address is 200 West Fifth Street, Greenville NC, 27834, THIRD FLOOOR. I hope to see a bunch of you there! Thanks, John M. Person
 

BR549

Twelve Pointer
Thank you BR549!! I'm guessing you sent this to Parks & Recs, right? That's awesome!!

Yes - With no reply as of yet... That's usually what they do when they don't want you the real deal. For now I assume Greenville is fair dealing. Have to give them a fair opportunity to respond, tonight will provide light on the situation.
 

Fish Head

Eight Pointer
Update!
Last night, me and a group of folks went before the Parks & Rec Commission and voiced our concerns about the closure of the Town Commons Boat Ramp to motorized boats. I must say that I was pleased with way the meeting went. The Commission listened to us, asked questions, and seemed inclined as a group to reverse the decision of closure to motor boats. They have asked me to meet with them in a closed session in the next few weeks to address a couple of concerns (new signage, etc) in order to reopen the ramp. I do anticipate a decision by the Commission to be announced at their July Board meeting.
I want to thank everyone who attended the meeting last night. Your support was invaluable! To all those who called and/or emailed me, I want to thank you as well. You know who you are.
Hopefully, the next update I post will be an announcement that the Greenville Town Commons Boat Ramp has been reopened to motorized boats!
 

ridenismo

Six Pointer
Forgot All about this, I would have loved to been a part of it but thank you to those of you who did attend. truly bravo
 
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