Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, June 8, 1990 TAG: 9006090480
SECTION: SMITH MOUNTAIN TIMES PAGE: SMT-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DAVID M. POOLE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ROCKY MOUNT LENGTH: Medium
On May 4, the Franklin Board of Supervisors voted to conduct a two-year review of existing zones in which boaters cannot travel faster than idle speed.
The board signaled its intention to eliminate those no-wake zones that are not near marinas and boat ramps where safety is a concern.
The board's decision reverses a recent policy of approving no-wake buoys in coves at the request 75 percent of the landowners.
The buoys have proliferated so fast in recent years that the Smith Mountain Lake Policy Advisory Board has asked the counties of Bedford, Franklin and Pittsylvania to tighten the qualifications.
On May 4, the Pittsylvania Board of Supervisors voted to leave open the option of no-wake buoys in private coves, but County Administrator Dan Sleeper said the board would limit few new permits.
"Private landowners should understand they're buying in a recreational area," Sleeper said.
The Bedford County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to review its no-wake policy on June 11.
At the Franklin County meeting, Gills Creek Supervisor Charles Ellis said no-wake buoys have become a navigational and safety hazard. For instance, many large coves have been placed off-limits to water-skiers - forcing them out into heavy boat traffic in the main channel.
Ellis argued that public safety - not landowners' desire to prevent shoreline erosion and to create privacy - should be the criteria for no-wake zones.
"If you have a place at the lake, it should be your responsibility for maintaining the shoreline," he said. "I guess that's one of the trials and tribulations of living on the lake."
Union Hall Supervisor Mike Brooks argued against limiting no-wake buoys to commercial areas, saying that the board should embark on a more comprehensive study of boating safety.
The board voted 6-1 for the strict limit.
Ellis and Blue Ridge Supervisor Ronnie Woods also suggested the county should remove all existing no-wake buoys that are not in commercial zones. The board approved a two-year "sunset" provision for existing buoys.
Some no-wake buoys may disappear sooner than that, according to Liz Parcell, executive director of the Policy Advisory Board.
Parcell said a recent tour of the lake uncovered a "tremendous" number of buoys that had not been reviewed by local governments or approved by the state Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
"For every one that is legal, there are maybe three that are illegal," said Ken Dugan, a Policy Advisory Board who helped game wardens inventory navigational markers.
by CNB