Lake Sammamish

I drove down at lunch yesterday to check out the launch to see what work had been done to the ramps.

They added (2) new piers with nice floating docks. Got back and started googling to see when they'd do the rest and it turns out they're DONE. What the heck?

http://sammamishreview.com/2011/03/1...ish-state-park

Pretty disappointing really. The old docks are a joke and honestly, I'd be surprised if they make it through this season once they finally come back above the water line. What is there like 6 or 7 still? They were so hammered last year, nails sticking out everywhere, missing planks, etc.

What does that $7 launch fee even pay for? The money for the new docks was a grant, so it didn't come from launch fees.

To top it off, there's a sign at he enterance stating that the launch will not be opening until 6:30 a.m. this summer due to budget/staffing issues. I don't usually ever get there much before then anyway, but I would think this could potentially increase wait times to launch early in the morning, especially with the fishermen who tend to get out there at the crack of dawn.

I'll be calling the park's office to gather more details, but was pretty disappointed and figured i'd post up to vent. If anybody has any additional details please share.

I'd pay more money to launch if I thought it would actually be used to clean that place up and bring it back to where it should be.

The park's office number is 425-455-7010.

Glad I use the launch during the week. I wouldn't want to have to deal with the mess those new docks are going to create when it get's busy. As for letting the remaining docks go to crap, My personal thought is that the residents of the lake would love nothing more than to restrict access to "their" lake. If the Parks dept. doesn't plan on replacing the remaining docks as they decay there will be fewer people willing deal with the conditions and the congestion to launch at Sammamish. Fewer boats = quieter, more peaceful lake which would be perfect in the eyes of those who live on the lake.

The city of Des Moines did something very similar a couple of years ago. As high end condos started going in at the marina the folks who inhabit them grew to dislike the noise and traffic caused by the fisherman. They started pressuring the city to remove the launch. In turn the city purposely let the costs of the launch pile up and then played dumb when the dock's disrepair costs finally came due. The systematic degradation worked and now there is no longer a public launch at the marina.

Originally Posted by seattle

Glad I use the launch during the week. I wouldn't want to have to deal with the mess those new docks are going to create when it get's busy. As for letting the remaining docks go to crap, My personal thought is that the residents of the lake would love nothing more than to restrict access to "their" lake. If the Parks dept. doesn't plan on replacing the remaining docks as they decay there will be fewer people willing deal with the conditions and the congestion to launch at Sammamish. Fewer boats = quieter, more peaceful lake which would be perfect in the eyes of those who live on the lake.

The city of Des Moines did something very similar a couple of years ago. As high end condos started going in at the marina the folks who inhabit them grew to dislike the noise and traffic caused by the fisherman. They started pressuring the city to remove the launch. In turn the city purposely let the costs of the launch pile up and then played dumb when the dock's disrepair costs finally came due. The systematic degradation worked and now there is no longer a public launch at the marina.

Yeah and have you noticed how far out the gangway sticks out into the traffic lane? Or in other words how narrow it is between the end of the gangway and the trailer parking? it's going to to be pretty tight trying to back down and you can forget anybody getting around you while you're trying. I'm hoping they're going to move the parking back a bit, but I don't see anything more happening if they're calling the "upgrade" complete.

It is really frustrating. I know there's plenty of folks who may not really care, as they may not even really need a functioning dock, but for someone like me with a family and young kids a dock is well, pretty important. Personally, I think the two that were installed were overbuilt. They were made to accomedate the handicapped. I'm not bagging on that, just saying they could do much less on the others and still make them floatable and long lasting.

I'm wondering if anything can be done from a taxpayer perspective? I mean, is there like some sort of way to petition them to do anything? I don't know the right words and am pretty naive about how anything at a state level gets done, but I mean, if there was enough support can't we create something that is actionable? How would someone even begin to look into that?

As for homeowners, I see your point, but it's a State Park and frankly, they get their peace and quiet 9 months out of the year. I would think those with waterfront mortgages would favor anything that creates interest and draws people to their lake. I also think waterfront homeowner's contention for boaters is laughable. I'm sure there's more to it that I'm missing not being one, but I honestly don't get it. It's a lake. You bought a house on a lake, not a gated community.

I'm worried about someone falling, getting hurt, then sueing, winning and the state closing it down. I mean, heck that lake is one of the main reasons I moved to Issaquah in the first place.

The ramp at American lake in Lakewood was a piece a couple years ago. When they shut it down and started working on it, it was supposed to be done by Memorial day ( shut down in Oct. before). Got pushed to July 4th opening, then pushed again. Never opened that year. Ramp was shut due to budget cuts. Finally opened a year later. It now is a very nice ramp, but costs 10.00 a launch. Unless you buy a season pass for 120.00. The docks float on pylons, so it is never under water. Why dont more lakes build this type of dock that raises and lowers with water level?? Seems it would make more sense to build them this way.

Well the rub here Tony is that they've been talking about redoing the launch for years and now they've completed the "upgrade" and it's a joke. The other piece that irks me is it was a federal grant. It wasn't even state money or funds used from fees. Like I said, I'd pay more, $10, heck $15, just make it right. It's our only public launch.