Skip to content

Discussion about docks

County to work with resident to install temporary dock across MR lands
Ash Rolof June 15 copy
Lac La Nonne property owner Ash Rolof makes his case for why he should be allowed to install a temporary dock on municipal public reserve lands during a June 15 County of Barrhead Municipal Planning Commission meeting. Barry Kerton/BL

BARRHEAD-A Lac La Nonne resident most likely will get to install a temporary, seasonal boat dock on the County of Barrhead municipal public reserve (MR) lands.

What it will look like will largely be in the hands of county administrative staff.

Councillors unanimously instructed to administration to work with Ash Rolof to help him install a temporary dock for the season on the county's municipal public reserve lands on Duncan Road (Moonlight Bay subdivision) during their June 15 meeting.

Rolof went before the council to plead his case to install the dock on the MR. Later in the meeting, he admitted that he had already installed the dock along with a boat lift, but administration staff told him to remove it (which he did) until the council made a decision.

Municipal public reserve land (MR) is a strip of land, municipally owned, surrounding the lake. Its purpose is to provide a buffer between residential property and sensitive ecological areas. As such, the lands are most often, as much as possible, kept in their natural state.

The dock is now resting on the MR, but the boat launch is still in the lake.

According to the drawing Rolof submitted to the council, the dock is 44 feet long and includes a small three-foot-wide extension jutting out to the side, in front of where his boat would park. In the offseason, it would be stored in an out of the way location on the MR.

"We have had docks there before, but not for some time," Rolof said.

Although he lives in the city, he and his family have owned several properties in the area, including one in the Lac La Nonne area.

Later in the meeting, he said as a child he played on the MR lands in the area and "knows every inch of them".

Rolof said that he and his family are water sport enthusiasts and the reason why he wanted to install the dock is for their safety.

"I'm a safety officer ... and one of the ways to increase safety is by eliminating hazards, which is something a dock would do. I also wanted to look at the environment to make sure that it is kept sustainably," he said.

Rolof added the dock would be an asset to the community as he would not restrict its use.

"I would volunteer my time and resources to its upkeep. I have volunteer experience having volunteered in four different countries. This is the first time I would have volunteered in Canada. I would be happy to do something for my community," he said.

Rolof noted by granting his application, the county would be helping protect the environment by reducing the need for other docks on public reserve lands.

"If anyone else in the area wanted to install a community dock, they could easily deny the application, noting there already had one," he said.

Rolof also felt he was being "unfairly singled out", noting several property owners in the area had made changes to the "riparian" area without suffering any consequences from the county.

"I find it unfair that all I want is a sustainable, non-permanent dock while other people are bringing in truckloads of sand and rock," he said. "What they are doing could wreck the landscape for 100 years or more."

Rolof also pointed to several other properties in the region, which have docks that seemingly cross MR lands that had either been granted the approval or whose owners decided to skirt the rules.

Later in the discussion, county manager Debbie Oyarzun noted that in the majority of those instances, the docks were on private property and not municipal public reserve lands and were permissible as long as they adhered to provincial regulations.

She also noted that even in the case of docks on MR lands, county approval was only one part of the component, noting those still needed permission from the province that had jurisdiction over the shore bed and any waterbody.

"I'm just not a person who comes from the city to go to his cabin. My four grandparents and father are buried here. My grandparents started the Co-op ... my grandmother was such an influential person and was noted for her volunteer work that she is in the museum," he said. "I was born in the Barrhead hospital, as was my father and son, so we have a real connection to the community."

Coun. Darrell Troock, while he supported the concept of a non-intrusive community dock, said making any long-term decision was premature as the county was in the process of developing strategic plans for all the lakes in the county.

Reeve Doug Drozd said while he was receptive to the potential of having a dock that would serve the community, he was concerned about potential liability issues.

"The dock [the Lac La Nonne Enhancement Protection Association (LEPA) put in at Klondike Park, we decided to take it on as a county asset, insuring it because there is an inherent risk," he said. "You can say it is a community dock, but if something happens who is liable?"

LEPA is a non-profit organization formed in 1985 to help protect the lake from environmental hazards.

Rolof asked if a "use at your own risk" sign would absolve any liability to both himself and the county if a mishap were to take place when the dock was used by the public.

Oyarzun said, that while it might mitigate any damages, it didn't eliminate the risk of court action.

Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com

 


Barry Kerton

About the Author: Barry Kerton

Barry Kerton is the managing editor of the Barrhead Leader, joining the paper in 2014. He covers news, municipal politics and sports.
Read more



Comments

push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks