“Lake County Rowing Club respectfully requests from the City Manager’s office,
to be put on June 9th agenda.”
Our club was formed to establish a place for all non motorized boats: kayaks, canoes, dragon boats and shells to legally engage in the sport of rowing. Where there would be a program for Masters (ages 27 & up) & Juniors, whose members row regularly on Lake Minneola (formerly Cow House Lake).
Our mission is to help our community develop endurance, discipline, teamwork & mental/physical toughness utilizing an environmentally friendly sport. Rowing was first introduced to Clermont & it’s neighboring communities as the original method of transportation by the indians & later our city’s first settlers. We strive to teach both the love of the sport & it’s rich history in our community.
Founded by Morten Bjoern: former member of the Danish National Rowing Team, placing 2nd in the World in Japan, LCRC.US researched the area for suitable lakes for Regattas & training facilities. Lake Minneola, formerly Cow House Lake proved to be the ideal location for the sport siting reports from the Daily Commercial’s Ann Dupee who reported on the State Championship finals being held there 20 years ago. Upon our investigation of the current boat ramp, we found the facility was not suitable for non motorized boat launches which would primarily be walked into the water by youths & seniors. We contacted the Parks & Recreation department to find adequate facilites who directed us to the City Manager’s office to request permission required for our organization to legally & safely utilize the City’s property on Lake Mineola near Waterfront Park.
Our requests are as follows:
1. Permission to walk our non motorized boats into Lake Minneola in a designated “Non Motorized Boat Launch,” ideally located between the old pump house & old boat house (formerly Bell Ceramic boat house). This “mellow bank” will enable us to legally/safely walk our shells into the water without concerns of pedestrians waiting in line with trucks & trailers to use the lake.
2. Permission to use the public bathrooms, located at Waterfront Park. Our rowers would ideally be rowing before & after school during the school year, as early at 4:30am in the morning. Practices can run several hours for both our elite athletes & coaches, use of the public facilites would extremely help our day to day operation & training. The City currently does not unlock the doors at that time, so we ask that a designated person be given permission to check out a key for this bathroom.
3. Permission to lease the Old Boat House (formerly Bell Ceramic’s Boat House) and Old Pump House to store our non motorized boats in exchange for keeping this stretch of property clean from litter & clear of debris which would hinder us from launching our boats. Some of our boats are up to 60 feet long, yet fragile, so shorter transports would be preferable. We would improve & maintain these currently unused structures for the benifit of the City & use of LCRC.
Our organization strives to form an equally benificial partnership with the City of Clemont & it’s neighboring communities to help enrich & educate the public both about the sport of rowing & it’s historic signifigance as one of our earliest methods of transportation. Our “Water and Waterways,” were given more coverage in the book “Clermont Gem of the Hills 1884-1984, yet up until now been given very little recognition. Lake County Rowing Club’s vision is to utilize & preserve our communities best resource, its lakes.
Thank you for your time & consideration in this matter.
Respectfully,
Lake County Rowing Club
Morten Bjoern
Kim Johnson
Debbie Kiely
Karen Dorrs
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