Lake Davidson lies east of I-77 in Davidson and Mooresville.

Residents who favor and oppose new rules for Lake Davidson that could include a ban on boats with large motors are lining up to speak or present petitions at a public hearing today, Wednesday, Sept. 3.  A joint Mooresville-Davidson committee studying growth, water quality and safety on the tiny lake will convene the hearing at 7 p.m. in the Charles Mack Citizens Center, 215 N. Main St., Mooresville.

Since the last meeting of the Lake Davidson Working Committee Aug. 5, opponents of new rules have continued to lobby against regulation, and they are circulating a petition asking the committee to suspend its work, saying there is inadequate opportunity for public input. And town officials say even as they consider new restrictions, local water skiers are pushing a new idea: turning Lake Davidson into a water-skiing park. Meanwhile, backers of stricter regulations have been collecting signatures and issuing statements, and one of the latest groups to join the effort is Davidson’s Quaker Meeting.

The Davidson Friends Meeting said in a statement sent to the two-town working committee: “Nearby construction and the use of powerful motorcraft have increased the pollution of Lake Davidson. … The potential for further degradation leads us to seek better care for this piece of the world.” Read the Friends’ press release (PDF format)

GROWTH PROMPTS STUDY

The Lake Davidson Working Committee, which includes elected and appointed officials from both towns, is studying environmental, safety and growth-related issues at the tiny 341-acre lake. The study comes as growth continues around the lake, threatening water quality. And with new residential developments already approved and new parks in the planning stages on the lakefront, officials are concerned that an influx of powerboats could create safety and environmental issues. They say new parks and better public lake access will bring more residents onto the lake for swimming, canoeing, kayaking and other more passive uses.

The effort grew out of Davidson’s attempt in 2007 to persuade Mooresville’s Town Board to join in implementing water’s edge construction buffers and limiting the size of motors on boats docked within the town limits.  Mooresville’s board never endorsed the proposed two-town agreement, but the two towns this summer formed the committee to jointly study what might be done.

Since 1980, Davidson has used master-plan approvals and a series of 2001 planning ordinance amendments to require construction-free zones, or buffers, around the lake, and to restrict the size of boats and personal watercraft (such as Jet-Skis) that may be docked in Davidson to those with motors less than 10 horsepower.

Davidson has not strictly enforced the rules, relying instead on voluntary compliance by residents and homeowners associations. But compliance has been mixed. And boaters and water skiers still have access to a boat ramp at the north end of the lake, off Transco Road in Mooresville, that is beyond Davidson’s reach.

QUAKERS JOIN REGULATION BACKERS

Local Quakers, the Davidson Friends Meeting, are the latest residents to come out in favor of tightened regulations. In a “minute,” or statement of belief adopted at its Aug. 24 meeting, the 30-family group endorsed recommendations by the Davidson Lands Conservancy to limit boats to canoes, kayaks, sailboats and others powered only by electric motors. Members plan to present their statement again at Wednesday’s hearing.

The Davidson Lands Conservancy is also urging residents to attend, sending an email to members and supporters Tuesday saying, “Please attend and by your presence and/or your words make it known that you want to see this valuable resource preserved as a healthy, scenic feature in our front yard.”

Also planning to attend Wednesday’s meeting is another group called Friends of Lake Davidson, which has been organizing residents. Member Doug Oldenburg will represent the group, delivering a 10-minute presentation on why the group supports greater regulation. The Friends of Lake Davidson previously issued a statement saying, “Lake Davidson is only 1% the size of Lake Norman. We believe this small and fragile lake should be preserved for canoes, kayaks, paddle boats, sailboats and boats with motors under 10 (horsepower).”

Friends of Lake Davidson also will tell the Lake Davidson Working Committee that it has collected the signatures of more than 250 area residents who support great regulation of the small lake, said member Pam Dykstra, who has been helping gather the letters of support.

Opponents of the regulations also will be there. They include local water-skiers and a group called PLEASE@LKD, who have questioned the towns’ rights to regulate boating on the lake. They note that water skiing and power boating has always been allowed on the lake. And they say they would like to keep larger boats and Jet-skis, and the right to use a water-skiing slalom course on the waterway.

They also have warned residents around the lake that the new rules could hurt their property values.

The group is circulating a petition asking “that the elected officials of the Towns of Davidson and Mooresville suspend the activities of the current Working Committee (WC), publicly define its mission, and reconstitute its membership to include members of the public.”

The group charges that the two towns have failed to adequately inform the public and have not allowed for public input. It also wants a longer time frame for consideration of possible rules changes, saying the end of the year is too soon to make a decision.

Meanwhile, Davidson officials say local water skiers have introduced a new idea that would preserve their access to the lake: Creating a water-skiing park on Lake Davidson.

HEARING FORMAT

At the hearing in Mooresville, speakers will be given 3 minutes each to say where they stand on proposals to regulate the lake. Organized groups will be allowed to have a representative deliver a 10-minute formal presentation, rather than have all their members speak for 3 minutes each.

Working Committee members will incorporate what they see and hear into their discussions at monthly meetings through year’s end, as they try to come up with a recommendation, said Dawn Blobaum, Davidson’s assistant town manager and coordinator for the working committee.

She said the working committee’s goal “is to reach consensus on a vision for Lake Davidson and forward a recommendation to the Mooresville and Davidson boards of commissioners on how best to achieve that vision. We hope to be done by the end of the year.”

Future working group meetings will include these: Sept. 16, 9 a.m., Davidson Town Hall; Oct. 2, 9 a.m., Mooresville Town Hall; and Nov. 18, 9 a.m., Davidson Town Hall.

DOCUMENTS AND LINKS

Sept. 2, 2008, Davidson Friends meeting press release announcing support for Lake Davidson regulation.

Aug. 11, 2008, revised Lake Davidson fact sheet, provided by Town of Davidson, with background about existing regulation, history, water quality and other issues.

Aug. 5, 2008, DavidsonNews.net, “Residents listen as committee discusses Lake Davidson.”

Aug. 5, 2008, official meeting notes from Aug. 5 Lake Davidson Working Committee meeting.

Aug. 4, 2008, “Meeting Tuesday to continue look at Lake Davidson’s future”

July 25, 2008, DavidsonNews.net, “Towns working on shared vision for Lake Davidson.”

Aug. 3, 2008, Charlotte Observer, “Lake Davidson skiing could be wiped out.”

Town of Davidson website, “Lake Davidson Facts & Information”

Davidson Lands Conservancy position statement

Town of Davidson response to questions from PLEASE@LKD

PLEASE@LKLD flier distributed in Lake Davidson area neighborhoods

2007 Lake Norman water quality study.

Position paper from Friends of Lake Davidson. The group also has been distributing this flier.

(Some of these documents are in PDF format. Requires free Adobe Reader software)