Huckleberries Online

Hagadone Wants Marina Expansion

Posted by DFO

May 1, 2009 9:02 a.m. • 23 comments

With bigger boats mooring on Lake Coeur d’Alene, Hagadone Hospitality wants to retrofit a 1940s marina to provide a sheltered space for luxury yachts and other pleasure craft. A deeper harbor and two dozen 60-foot-long boat slips are part of the proposed makeover at the Marina Yacht Club on Blackwell Island, near the lake’s confluence with the Spokane River. The new marina design calls for a total of 420 boat slips of varying lengths, plus space for 128 personal watercraft. Large yachts are taking the place of vacation cabins on Lake Coeur d’Alene, said John Barlow, Hagadone Hospitality’s secretary. People moor them at marinas and live in them/Becky Kramer, SR. More here.

Question: Do you have any problems with Duane Hagadone’s proposed expansion of his Blackwell Island marina?

23 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

Sisyphus on May 01 at 9:20 a.m.
Other than he’s trying to turn one of Idaho’s greatest gems into a personal playground for him and his Palm Springs buddies. I’m sure it will pad his accounts nicely.
Phaedrus on May 01 at 10:15 a.m.
I will await the Army Corps of Engineers’ report on how he will handle the heavy metals that will be dredged up.
hmoffsuite on May 01 at 11:24 a.m.
I am not concerned about the environmental issues. Duane will do the job properly and it won’t be a problem. The item within this story that does trouble me is the size of the boats being accomodated. (I might note that they way it will work, is that if one wants a slip, he will likely be required to buy the boat from Hagadone Marine). But, for 30 years I have seen the size of boats on the lake increase. To a point that anyone with a boat that is smaller than about 23ft, really gets bounced around, particularly at the very north end of the lake. I have found that I really can’t use my 21’ Centurys on the weekends and just use my larger boat during that time. During the week is fine, but not on the weekends. I have a good friend with a 46’ boat he keeps at the Resort, and I won’t let him even tie up to my dock. (a boat that big when secured and rocking, will actually pull boards out of a dock). I taxi him when they are coming over for dinner or whatever. But, trying to put a limit on the sixe of boats wouldn’t be appropriate, imo.
idawa on May 01 at 11:36 a.m.
To summarize: The big boats on the lake destroy the use of the lake for the vast majority of people who can’t afford big boats, but even this is not enought of a reason to limit boats sizes. To the victors go the spoils, even the use of ‘public goods.’

Has the lake gotten that bad though? We used to be just fine in our 21’ boat, but that was over ten year ago now. I suppose families are just relegated to the beach now unless they have the money to buy a 40 footer…
hmoffsuite on May 01 at 11:50 a.m.
A little side note on Cda lake boating. I watch literally hundreds of boats cruise by my place every weekend. (Hagadone’s house is a big attraction and a must see for boaters). In watching the boats go by, I have made an observation. The smaller the boat, the more people will be in it and having the most fun. Small boats usually are loaded to the max, have inner tubes towing behind and wake boards hanging out the boat. Often, much laughter comes from those boats. However, a large yacht will go by, the man up on top driving and the wife on the deck below, reading a book. They aren’t even talking to each other. Conclusion: The smaller the boat, the more fun is being had. Just my observation.
Joker on May 01 at 2:39 p.m.
What Daddy wants, Daddy gets!
brandxranch on May 01 at 3:30 p.m.
I miss the old lake….
MikeK on May 01 at 6:37 p.m.
HMO wrote: “Conclusion: The smaller the boat, the more fun is being had. Just my observation.”

I would like to point out that this is the operating rationale that has gotten short, pudgy Irishmen married for many, many millenia now. Being of that ilk, I’m pleased that it still holds true today.

:-)
MikeK on May 01 at 6:40 p.m.
Oh, and for what it’s worth I voted against this project a few years back, and one of my several concerns was the impact of the necessary dredging on water quality. We’ll see what the Corps, DEQ, and any other regulatory agencies have to say about it. They were always the real 800 lb. gorilla lurking in the background anyway.
hmoffsuite on May 01 at 6:49 p.m.
MikeK. There is no doubt in my mind that Hagadone will do the drudging in the best possible way insofar as the envirionment is concerned. A lesser developer would raise my concerns for certain, but Duane does it right. This will be a good thing for the citizens. Next up, annex Blackwell Island and get revenue from those leased boat slips.
Phaedrus on May 01 at 7:29 p.m.
There is no doubt in my mind that Hagadone will do the drudging in the best possible way insofar as the envirionment is concerned.

I do not share your blind faith. When this issue was last considered the Army Corps of Engineers was somewhat critical of Mr. Hagadone’s lack of willingness to answer their concerns. Despite the public perception, the ACE report was one of the main reasons that he pulled the project.
hmoffsuite on May 01 at 7:43 p.m.
Phaedrus. I think they just went back to the drawing board and came up with a solution that works. Although not a huge project, it is complicated and tricky. Arriving at the proper methods may have taken additional consideration.

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D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.