Study: Separate beach, boat launch
BILL BULEY | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 years, 5 months AGO
Honeysuckle Beach
MAUREEN DOLAN/Press file
Bill Buley covers the city of Coeur d'Alene for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He has worked here since January 2020, after spending seven years on Kauai as editor-in-chief of The Garden Island newspaper. He enjoys running. | July 9, 2022 1:09 AM
HAYDEN — Separating the beach and the boat launch at Honeysuckle Beach was the most popular solution to challenges there, according to the results of a survey.
The Hayden City Council may take action on the final report of the Honeysuckle Beach and boat launch study at its Tuesday meeting.
More than a year of interviews, open houses, public outreach and working groups were part of the process, led by the city of Hayden.
One survey of 440 people asked participants to rank the challenges at Honeysuckle Beach.
Overcrowding, traffic congestion and lack of parking were the top issues, according to the report’s executive summary.
"The goal is to improve the experience for beach, dock and boat-launch users, not increase capacity," according to the city.
Respondents were asked to rank solutions to the issues, and the most popular one was to separate the beach and boat launch.
One solution called for relocating the launch to the south side of Honeysuckle Bay.
“The alternative to relocate the boat launch is the only option that separates the two primary summer user groups — boaters and beach users, though the proposed site has many challenges,” according to study recommendations.
Other options included:
• Reconfiguring the beach if the launch was eliminated. This would reduce congestion, improve safety, and provide for non-motorized launch, but may also require relocation of a sewer lift station and irrigation pump house.
• Offsite parking lot with a shuttle in the city’s sand pit as an interim solution. That would remove parking from the shoulder of Honeysuckle Avenue, but may not work for fishermen or reduce the beachgoer/boater conflict in the parking lot.
About half of the respondents indicated they would be willing to pay for parking, which is currently free. More than 60% said they would be willing to pay more to launch.
The council will determine the next steps, which may include more study of the suggested solutions, or it could take action and work toward obtaining funding and implementation.
The council is scheduled to meet at 5 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall.
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