News for boaters on the river

Arguably the biggest issue at last night's City Council meeting - if you go by level of debate - was the Harbor Commission's proposed amendment to the Water Sheet Ordinance that would reduce the width of the small craft navigation zone on a part of the Merrimack River from 150 ft. to 75 ft.

This would be up-river from a line extending from the bottom of California St. to wherever Newburyport waters end (people seemed confused about where this might be - Amesbury, W. Newbury ...).

The SCNZ extends 150 ft. from the southerly boundary for the entire distance of the federal channel, the ordinance currently says.

"The placement of floats, piers or docking mechanism" is not allowed in this area.

Harbor Commission chairman Hans Erwich told the council that the former HC that drafted the ordinance in 1991 made a mistake.

"In some places the zone narrows to land," he said.

At-large Councillor Kathleen O'Connor Ives does not believe a mistake was made in 1991 and thinks this will open the door to people applying to put floating docks on the river where now they cannot (Gee, I wonder who'd want to do that?).

There are currently 7 docks that protrude into the SCNZ, most of which were grandfathered in at the time of the 1991 ordinance, Erwich said.

Ward 2 Councillor Greg Earls demanded greater detail and updated maps and Ed Cameron had to withdraw his motion to approve ... and then Earls and Council President James Shanley were seen after the meeting in a heated discussion outside City Hall ... I told you Earls is getting fiesty.