Город Кристал-Ривер рассматривает альтернативы сносу причала ради реализации проекта River Walk

The city of Crystal River finds itself facing another quandary. The River Walk project has been on the wish list and in the planning stage since 1988. Most reports indicate that the idea came from the Community Redevelopment Agency. The project has gone through many hurdles but appeared to be moving toward closure until recently. The city’s only boat ramp is in the way of the River Walk. If River Walk is to be completed, the ramp will have to be closed or possibly modified. That does not sit well with some city residents. The ramp is small and sits among numerous mom-and-pop businesses. Vehicle and trailer parking is across U.S. 19 at the fire station. There are parking spaces, but most are reserved for patrons of the local businesses. Pedestrians crossing U.S. 19 can be hazardous, to say the least. Sheriff David Vincent has expressed safety concerns regarding pedestrians crossing U.S. 19. Bottom line is, the ramp is functional but no longer a safe and positive property for the city. Secondly, it will inhibit the completion of River Walk. River Walk has been in the planning stage for over 30 years. It has involved numerous grant applications and submitted more applications for permits than any rational person would believe. There have been legal battles regarding property ownership. The process has had extensive negotiations between the city attorney and affected property owners. Now they are in the actual construction phase. Why this boat ramp issue ever came up after all these years of planning is the real question. Now the city is contemplating creating a new ramp as part of Kings Bay Park to replace the NW 3rd Avenue ramp. This idea comes with a slew of issues. The area is accessed by an old, narrow street with no other egress. The parking lot is limited, especially for trucks with boat trailers, and has challenging turnaround space. There is a beautiful tree in the middle of NE 3rd Avenue. It could cause traffic problems but should not be sacrificed. There is a design that shows parking space for 48 trucks and boat trailers. What looks good on paper is not always the real situation. The city would place restrictions on boat and truck sizes. Who is going to enforce it and at what cost? Will the city use limited funds to rebuild the roadway access? At what cost? Kings Bay Park needs to remain just what it is, a beautiful waterfront park! Adding a boat launching site would severely damage and crowd the park that is enjoyed by so many. This entire problem goes back many years. The city should have been obtaining more waterfront property, but it didn’t. Now, finding new waterfront land anywhere in the city is next to impossible. If the county ever gets its act together, closed ramps can reopen, along with the possibility of new ones outside the city. The greatest opportunity for new, spacious ramps has been ignored for years, and that is the barge canal. The property could be developed as a regional project between Levy and Citrus counties, along with the city’s input. This might also be attractive to the state for funding. Another concern is the overcrowding of Kings Bay. Moving some boat traffic up to the canal may take some pressure off Kings Bay and the many canals within the city limits. The city of Crystal River is a very densely developed area. They need to look outside the city for any new waterfront projects while embracing and improving the great city parks that exist. There have been many changes in the city over the years, some good, some not. Losing a city boat ramp would be a sad change, but muddling up Kings Bay Park with a boat ramp would be a tragedy.