Gaining Access
Riverfront
Development group
pushing for Madison boat dock
They say boaters, businesses
would benefit from access
By
Tess Worrell
Contributing Writer
(August 2012) – “What a pretty town. Why
don’t we stop for lunch?”
It’s easy to imagine boaters engaging in this conversation as they
sail along the Ohio River near Madison, Ind. The problem? All docks
are full. So they move along to another area.
Madison loses not only the day’s business but also the future business
of these patrons who might return after experiencing the delights of
downtown. The solution? The Madison Riverfront Development Committee
offers its answer – a new city boat dock.
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File
photo by Don Ward During
festival weekends, boaters |
Committee member John Bruns has begun discussions with
city leaders, dock builders and others to advance a proposal for a new
100-foot city boat dock. The new dock would accommodate six to 10 boats,
depending on size, and would offer short-term parking facilities to
boaters so they can debark to enjoy all the attractions of Madison.
Committee members envision the average docking time to be from two to
four hours – long enough to do a little shopping and grab
a bite to eat at any of the downtown restaurants.
Should boaters want to stay longer, they simply pay a small fee for
overnight privileges. The committee has proposed posting an honor box
asking boaters to pay a fee for any stay longer than four hours.
Jim Pruett, committee president, notes that other areas have had great
success with this system. “Boaters are happy to have parking facilities
and willingly pay the fees. These fees would help offset the cost of
maintaining the dock,” he says.
In addition to parking facilities, the proposal also includes the option
for a dumping station so boaters could empty their tanks at the dock.
Boaters would pay for this service, creating another source of revenue
to help offset the cost of the dock and ensure its maintenance.
Maintenance of the current dock offers one of the biggest challenges
and creates the greatest need for a new dock, they say, because city
crews who are often unfamiliar with the intricacies of maintaining boat
docks are charged with the maintenance duties. Further, the design of
the current dock simply can’t serve current boat traffic. The dock
accommodates only a couple of boats at a time. This causes long lines
for boaters trying to enter the Ohio River from Madison. Further, the
dock offers no parking facilities for boats coming up the Ohio River
to Madison. Finally, the dock closes whenever the river reaches peak
heights and the ramp is underwater.
The new dock would offer quicker access to the river through its accommodation
of more boats. Up to 10 boats would be able to park at the dock at any
given time. The design would allow for the dock to rise with the river,
meaning the dock would be accessible virtually any time boaters desire.
Bruns hopes that the agreement for building the dock would include a
provision for the builders to work with city crews to help crews know
how to carry out the maintenance. The builder would also oversee and
plan for long-term maintenance of the dock to ensure the best facility.
Bruns readily notes that other facilities currently offer boaters docking
ability – both through the Madison Lighthouse Restaurant and
Rivercrest Marina. In discussing the proposal, he quickly adds that
he does not want to take anything away from these facilities who serve
boaters so well. Rather, the committee and city officials have noticed
that more facilities are needed to accommodate river traffic. They simply
want to provide sufficient facilities to accommodate all boaters and
to welcome them into Madison for the benefit of everyone.
Money for the new dock would likely come from a grant through the Indiana
Department of Natural Resources. That grant proposal is in the very
early stages. Pruett said he would love to fill a current vacancy on
the committee with someone who specializes in grant writing. “They
don’t even have to join the committee,” he says. “We
just need someone with the expertise at grant writing to help us pursue
funding.”
“Boaters flock to Madison,” says Pruett. “We want to
offer the necessary means for them to be able to get off the boat and
come into town. With the dock, they can park their boat, walk along
Main Street and grab a sandwich. The dock will benefit them as well
as the downtown merchants.”
The Riverfront Development Committee wants boaters to know that “the
welcome mat is out,” Pruett said. Members believe a new dock would
send that message.