From Chicky Lasky
a meeting with the Yacht Club to discuss Lake Calhoun, and relocating the Yacht Club and meeting windsurfers concerns also. 7pm August 2, 2007 at the KENWOOD PARK BUILDING. Open to interested parties
Calhoun Development Meeting...Please attend
Moderator: MK
More info?
Does anyone know if this meeting will be limited to windsurfing concerns, or will it include discussion of broader issues, like commerecialization of a currently peaceful and park-like area of the lake? Also, will Park Board members/staff be participating, or just the Yacht Club?
As I understand it....
The meeting is planned as a discussion between the windsurfers and Calhoun Yacht Club. There are still proposals to develop and expand Calhoun Yacht Club facilities at the lake. This development will likely cause an effect on windsurfing at Lake Calhoun.
As windsurfers, we are organized to provide a voice for what is important to us to enjoy the lake. The meeting between the two groups is important so we understand each others ideas and desires in regard to continued enjoyment of Lake Calhoun for windsurfers, sailors, and all other users.
We hope to find some common ground to improve the lake we enjoy so much.
All windsurfers who wish to show their support by providing their opinions, show support just by being there, or learn more about what Calhoun Yacht Club is proposing to change at the lake, should show up. So please show up to show your support!
As windsurfers, we are organized to provide a voice for what is important to us to enjoy the lake. The meeting between the two groups is important so we understand each others ideas and desires in regard to continued enjoyment of Lake Calhoun for windsurfers, sailors, and all other users.
We hope to find some common ground to improve the lake we enjoy so much.
All windsurfers who wish to show their support by providing their opinions, show support just by being there, or learn more about what Calhoun Yacht Club is proposing to change at the lake, should show up. So please show up to show your support!
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Dean Rizer
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There is a Calhoun Windsurfer's forum under Community that unfortuntaly was filled with Junk as it required no password. The site was cleaned up and member Log in is now required to post.
The purpose of this link is to update interested individuals as to schedueled meetings meeting results etc. Hopefully this forum could help us eliminate the need for multiple meetings and those attending future meetings could arrive informed, eliminating the need for repetition.
There was a recent meeting at Chicki's house where concerned Calhoun windsurfers' gathered for the purpose of fleshing out a position re. Windsurfer's needs as related to lake usage. This was to be a usage needs statement only not specifically addressing any proposed or rumored CYC or Parkboard development plans. Would it be possible for someone to post these needs prior to the Aug 2 meeting?
Thanks!
The purpose of this link is to update interested individuals as to schedueled meetings meeting results etc. Hopefully this forum could help us eliminate the need for multiple meetings and those attending future meetings could arrive informed, eliminating the need for repetition.
There was a recent meeting at Chicki's house where concerned Calhoun windsurfers' gathered for the purpose of fleshing out a position re. Windsurfer's needs as related to lake usage. This was to be a usage needs statement only not specifically addressing any proposed or rumored CYC or Parkboard development plans. Would it be possible for someone to post these needs prior to the Aug 2 meeting?
Thanks!
Re: As I understand it....
Yeah, remember the BIG condo on the North end of the lake. Money talks & bull-shit walks.stevenP wrote:The meeting is planned as a discussion between the windsurfers and Calhoun Yacht Club. There are still proposals to develop and expand Calhoun Yacht Club facilities at the lake. This development will likely cause an effect on windsurfing at Lake Calhoun.
As windsurfers, we are organized to provide a voice for what is important to us to enjoy the lake. The meeting between the two groups is important so we understand each others ideas and desires in regard to continued enjoyment of Lake Calhoun for windsurfers, sailors, and all other users.
We hope to find some common ground to improve the lake we enjoy so much.
All windsurfers who wish to show their support by providing their opinions, show support just by being there, or learn more about what Calhoun Yacht Club is proposing to change at the lake, should show up. So please show up to show your support!
update from Chicki:
Meeting was interesting and amicable. Heard the needs and concerns of CYC for 100 feet of shoreline for sailing school, a long dock for boats to line up for racing etc, and a 2 story club house/schoolhouse needed, need parking lot, safe drop off, etc.. Desire to leave majority of buoys where they are and vacate only those along rock wall, and add buoys to Southeast corner and a second dock (leave original in at refectory probably), near our South/southeast launch location. Still want a hard surface boat launch at South (think of that as the windsurf location for clarification purposes here) , and school boats at South sandy shore. The long dock and buoys is the discussion point that squeezes us to a very difficult ability to sail from the South, even if they wrap more to the SE. They do not want to put boat buoys along the rock walls, as that is unpopular with the renters, and we obviously do not want to have a long dock and buoys squeezing the South shore into a very unusable windsurf launch and sailing area. They offered to try to get the rock rip-rap removed near the fishing dock to broaden our launch area, but that does not improve the sailing if they have the dock and buoys. The CYC members were under the initial impression that we still had dagger boards and could easily tack our way out of any encroachment and get "above" the docks and buoys. They would also like to share the beach with us to place the school boats across the shore line . This is basically back to a similar plan that we objected to before, but the building would be somewhat closer to the SE.
The NorthWest corner site was discussed (this is the site we approved at our initial meeting) , and we (windsurfers) have not dismissed it, but it is admittedly expensive. It is on the 1996 Park Board Comprehensive Plan, and is a better site for us than giving up the South. This give the CYC land, parking lot, street parking, and it can be built to give them all their needs. (This presumes a complete shift of docks and buoys to the NW). When the time comes for funding (obviously it is not now), support for the right location, funding will materialize, in my positive thinking attitude! This site is not the location Gurban wanted, to put another income-producing commercial venture on the other side of the lake like Tin Fish, but there is a large amount of public objection to commercialization to Calhoun already, and the Event Site proposal on the South died for that.
BUT in regard to us, if the CYC moves South, we will now have 2 locations of buoys and docks! It was mentioned to me that another vendor will take over the dock and boat house when CYC vacates that, and the buoys will stay there. So, if they moved the school South with the plan they proposed at this last meeting, it looks like the buoys would stay also along the (north)West side also (minus the short section by the North rock wall that doesn't impact us much), and the dock stays. Still have the squeezed reach, and no shore access on that side. Don't freak out yet, it is just discussion at a meeting. If we can get a NW location, we could reasonably ask for a vacating of the NE side of all buoys to the NW side.
Thus, in my mind, this is not a done deal as far as discussion goes. Many of us are still opposed strongly to giving up the South location, squeezing the South location to a very difficult or unusable location, and having the North remain the same, with no improvement. This is about compromise. We discussed meeting all of the CYC needs, and compromising the windsurfers needs in many, many respects. Hopefully we will be able to meet many more times, and find mutual and equal compromises. At this time there is no funding, and we know that the Park Board would like a "cheap" solution (at our expense), which is the South side because they have to spent very little, but that is simply not tolerable to us, nor to many people in the community. I attended the Fundraiser for Lisa Goodman on the same day as our meeting, and there are many supporters for our situation or equal presence on the lake. It is our only City Chain of Lakes to sail, they now know it, and they support us. We have to decide that we want to continue to windsurf on Lake Calhoun and that it is important to us. Important enough to take the time to educate your friends, neighbors, politicians, and all lay people, on WHY we need 2 shores of Lake Calhoun in order to sail there, and why we as a sport, we cannot access other lakes freely. Most people think you can travel around like a boat.
Lastly, I have been asked again at this meeting by a CYC member ;"we can move the Canoe racks right now if you agree to (this) plan today". My answer was the same that day as it was two years ago; "Do the right thing regardless, not contingent. Those racks should be removed for safety reasons long ago." I expect to see the Canoe racks there, for a long time to come.
It is IMPERITIVE that the Yacht Club and the Windsurfers think of themselves as a Sailing Community, and act accordingly. It is NOT about meeting 100% of ones needs. It is very much about EQUAL opportunity on the lake as the first and most basic premise. Also, if the Park Board would look beyond Calhoun, for meeting some of its needs ("loving it to death"), or being the only sailing lake, or sailing school, we might be able to "spread the wealth" a bit. Bringing in more fishing boats, more lazers, more commercialization, is not necessarily a good thing for Calhoun . More is not more.
Hoping that we can be part of a bigger Sailing world. If anyone knows someone in Madison, please check out their Sailing Club, which includes windsurfing, and find out how they do it!
Chicki
Meeting was interesting and amicable. Heard the needs and concerns of CYC for 100 feet of shoreline for sailing school, a long dock for boats to line up for racing etc, and a 2 story club house/schoolhouse needed, need parking lot, safe drop off, etc.. Desire to leave majority of buoys where they are and vacate only those along rock wall, and add buoys to Southeast corner and a second dock (leave original in at refectory probably), near our South/southeast launch location. Still want a hard surface boat launch at South (think of that as the windsurf location for clarification purposes here) , and school boats at South sandy shore. The long dock and buoys is the discussion point that squeezes us to a very difficult ability to sail from the South, even if they wrap more to the SE. They do not want to put boat buoys along the rock walls, as that is unpopular with the renters, and we obviously do not want to have a long dock and buoys squeezing the South shore into a very unusable windsurf launch and sailing area. They offered to try to get the rock rip-rap removed near the fishing dock to broaden our launch area, but that does not improve the sailing if they have the dock and buoys. The CYC members were under the initial impression that we still had dagger boards and could easily tack our way out of any encroachment and get "above" the docks and buoys. They would also like to share the beach with us to place the school boats across the shore line . This is basically back to a similar plan that we objected to before, but the building would be somewhat closer to the SE.
The NorthWest corner site was discussed (this is the site we approved at our initial meeting) , and we (windsurfers) have not dismissed it, but it is admittedly expensive. It is on the 1996 Park Board Comprehensive Plan, and is a better site for us than giving up the South. This give the CYC land, parking lot, street parking, and it can be built to give them all their needs. (This presumes a complete shift of docks and buoys to the NW). When the time comes for funding (obviously it is not now), support for the right location, funding will materialize, in my positive thinking attitude! This site is not the location Gurban wanted, to put another income-producing commercial venture on the other side of the lake like Tin Fish, but there is a large amount of public objection to commercialization to Calhoun already, and the Event Site proposal on the South died for that.
BUT in regard to us, if the CYC moves South, we will now have 2 locations of buoys and docks! It was mentioned to me that another vendor will take over the dock and boat house when CYC vacates that, and the buoys will stay there. So, if they moved the school South with the plan they proposed at this last meeting, it looks like the buoys would stay also along the (north)West side also (minus the short section by the North rock wall that doesn't impact us much), and the dock stays. Still have the squeezed reach, and no shore access on that side. Don't freak out yet, it is just discussion at a meeting. If we can get a NW location, we could reasonably ask for a vacating of the NE side of all buoys to the NW side.
Thus, in my mind, this is not a done deal as far as discussion goes. Many of us are still opposed strongly to giving up the South location, squeezing the South location to a very difficult or unusable location, and having the North remain the same, with no improvement. This is about compromise. We discussed meeting all of the CYC needs, and compromising the windsurfers needs in many, many respects. Hopefully we will be able to meet many more times, and find mutual and equal compromises. At this time there is no funding, and we know that the Park Board would like a "cheap" solution (at our expense), which is the South side because they have to spent very little, but that is simply not tolerable to us, nor to many people in the community. I attended the Fundraiser for Lisa Goodman on the same day as our meeting, and there are many supporters for our situation or equal presence on the lake. It is our only City Chain of Lakes to sail, they now know it, and they support us. We have to decide that we want to continue to windsurf on Lake Calhoun and that it is important to us. Important enough to take the time to educate your friends, neighbors, politicians, and all lay people, on WHY we need 2 shores of Lake Calhoun in order to sail there, and why we as a sport, we cannot access other lakes freely. Most people think you can travel around like a boat.
Lastly, I have been asked again at this meeting by a CYC member ;"we can move the Canoe racks right now if you agree to (this) plan today". My answer was the same that day as it was two years ago; "Do the right thing regardless, not contingent. Those racks should be removed for safety reasons long ago." I expect to see the Canoe racks there, for a long time to come.
It is IMPERITIVE that the Yacht Club and the Windsurfers think of themselves as a Sailing Community, and act accordingly. It is NOT about meeting 100% of ones needs. It is very much about EQUAL opportunity on the lake as the first and most basic premise. Also, if the Park Board would look beyond Calhoun, for meeting some of its needs ("loving it to death"), or being the only sailing lake, or sailing school, we might be able to "spread the wealth" a bit. Bringing in more fishing boats, more lazers, more commercialization, is not necessarily a good thing for Calhoun . More is not more.
Hoping that we can be part of a bigger Sailing world. If anyone knows someone in Madison, please check out their Sailing Club, which includes windsurfing, and find out how they do it!
Chicki
Tighe