Boat harbor meeting gets heated, as city $1.8 million plan appears final

Tenants feel city didn’t listen to their ideas

The complaints were widespread from tenants of La Crosse’s municipal boat harbor.

They expressed fear, anger and a lack of trust toward city hall because of proposed harbor renovations.

Harbor tenants filled the city council chamber Thursday night to show their displeasure over new plans that would change the number or the size of many boat slips.

Tenants complained that the renovations are a “done deal,” and the city “didn’t listen to us.” They’re not happy with the $1.8 million redesign that appears to be final.

Although the Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources and the Corps of Engineers have approved the new harbor designs for possible completion by May 1, several owners claim their concerns have been ignored by the city.

“It seems like our ideas are (falling upon) deaf (ears),” harbor neighborhood spokesman Dennis Smalley said at the meeting. “Our concerns aren’t being listened to. We can’t even talk to these people sometimes.

Smalley claims that members of the park board have been told not to talk with his group.

“You think that we’re providing that information?” Smalley asked. “You think that we’re providing poor ideas? Bad solutions? You think we have a lack of effort here, that we’re just coming in and whining?”

Boat owners were upset when Jay Odegaard of the La Crosse parks dept. told them that new decks have already been ordered for the harbor. That led to calls from owners to leave the docks the way they have been.

Park board member Jim Webb member argued that modern laws, including those for handicapped access, guarantee that a new harbor won’t be built the same as it would have been decades ago. He said some of the changes, such as wider docks, are required under the Americans with Disabilities Act.