Lodge marina expansion docked

An expansion to the public marina at The Lodge at Whitefish Lake is likely dead in the water.

Councilors voted unanimously June 16 to deny a major lakeshore variance for a 19-foot extension of the marina gangway.

Sean Averill, whose family owns The Lodge, told council the extension would push the marina into deeper water and help keep boats from stirring up the lakebottom. Most of the marina is in less than 4 feet of water, according to Averill.

“Pushing these out will help the water quality issues in Monks Bay,” Averill said.

“We’re the only public marina on the lake. We’re trying to make it operate efficiently.”

In motioning to deny the dock extension, councilor Andy Feury said he was concerned about the surface area the dock would take up if pushed farther away from shore. He estimated it would cover nearly 1/6 of an acre of water.

“It would be covering a big chunk,” he said. “One of the original concerns of the marina was size and overall mass.”

Councilor Jen Frandsen said that while she understands the Averill’s concerns over shallow water, she said all property owners on the lake need to play by the same rules.

The Lodge previously was allowed to extend its marina 20 feet farther into the lake than is allowed under regulations.

“There’s already been an over extension,” councilor Richard Hildner said. “They would be 40 feet out from what the rules permit.”

A planned unit development amendment to allow nine additional boat slips at the marina also was denied when a motion for approval didn’t receive a second. The boat slips were to be for public use.

The Lodge recently purchased 87 feet of lakeshore frontage to the south, which qualifies it for nine additional boat slips. Yet, the current PUD limits the number of boat slips to 85 based on the lakeshore frontage owned when it was approved in 1990.

Frank Sweeney motioned to approve the PUD amendment, but when the motion received no second, the request effectively was denied.

Mayor John Muhlfeld said council’s inaction didn’t make sense.

“They are entitled, as far as I’m concerned, to an additional nine slips based on the recent purchase of lakefrontage,” he said.

The Lakeshore Protection Committee, City-County Planning Board and city Planning Department all recommended approval of the nine additional boat slips.

The Lodge can reapply for the nine slips they are entitled to under lakeshore regulations, but would still need council’s approval of the PUD amendment.

A number of residents spoke against the marina expansion, citing problems with increased boat traffic, safety issues and water quality.

Bruce Tate said serious consideration should be given to boat navigation issues and safety.

“A lot of traffic goes in and out of that bay,” Tate said. “It’s amazing how much boat traffic Monks Bay has.”

Charlie Abell has lived on the lake for 48 years. He said the lake is an asset to the community that needs to be protected.

“That lake belongs to everyone, not just commercial uses,” he said.

Cole Abell said adding more boats to Monks Bay would impact the city’s drinking water. About 25 percent of Whitefish’s water comes from the lake.

Using Google Earth software, resident Dewey Hartman counted 232 boat slips and 70 buoys in the bay.

“Add it all up and the stress on the lake is tremendous,” he said. “Every boat contributes to turbidity and is adding to the degradation of the lake.”

Former Whitefish resident John Marshall plugged in a radio blasting 1980s rock music to demonstrate noise pollution on the lake.

“This is what you’ll get,” he told council. “Any increase in boat slips will only increase the noise. What about the people who have invested in Monks Bay?”