Marina expansion unfair

When we were young, we believed in taking care of Whitefish Lake. Now I read stories about The Lodge marina.

From the June 9, 2005 Whitefish Pilot:

[Several lakeshore committee members claimed The Lodge has not cooperated with the design of the marina since 1991 and has continued to be out of compliance.

“We want to make sure the marina serves the public,” said committee member Marian Kibbe. “From what we’ve seen, it’s acting like a private marina that serves its condominiums and its hotel.”]

Now The Lodge at Whitefish Lake has bought adjacent property, so the rules already allow the marina to be expanded by nine slips laterally. The Lodge doesn’t need to expand farther into the middle of the bay.

The number of boat slips is a distraction. The Lodge wants to go farther into Monk’s Bay because the water levels are lower near the shore.

Swimming in the lake is pretty ugly especially in August. The crud floating in the water is unbelievable. By the middle of July, the depth from our dock is extremely low.

Jim Stack, the former chairman of the Lakeshore Protection Committee, stated the very low water used to come at the end of August instead of the middle of July. Stack explains that the water is lower in the summer because the city, Iron Horse and Whitefish Lake Golf Course pump from the lake.

Instead of granting The Lodge a permit to extend his dock farther, the city needs to monitor the amounts of water pumped from the lake and the allowed months, to maintain the water level.

If the city council allows The Lodge to extend its dock, it needs to let the rest of the property owners in the bay extend their docks. Only fair. We’ll meet in the middle of the bay.

Ultimately, the more boats, the more likely a tragedy. My dad died in this bay in 1970. He was hit by a boatload of drinkers.

Let your voice be heard. Attend the city council meeting June 16 at 7:10 p.m. or write a letter.

— Judy Pettinato