Letter from Lang Keith

ZBA Should Do the Right Thing

For the past five years or so, I have been one of the volunteer coaches at the Otsego Area Rowing facility at Brookwood Point, the Otsego Land Trust’s permitted recreational area. Other coaches and I have introduced adults, local youth, physically challenged kids and disabled veterans to the great sport of rowing. Some of our youth have become skillful enough to compete in local regattas.
The existing OAR site is a beach launch next door to the Otsego Sailing Club.

Launching boats over slippery rocks is difficult. It is especially difficult for our disabled rowers. The original OLT master plan showed non-motorized boat access on the north side of Brookwood, but a dilapidated, unusable pedestrian bridge made that impossible. The bridge has now been rebuilt. That allows OLT to relocate the canoe, kayak, paddle board, and rowing shell access to the north and to install a floating dock. Launching from a floating dock is certainly more convenient and an order of magnitude safer than beach launching. It also precludes interfering with the sailing club’s operations.