Council approves camping ordinance amendments News Staff Sat, 05/11/2024 - 12:54 pm Kindley Park camping prohibited
- (ARCHIVE PHOTO | THE GRAHAM LEADER) The Graham City Council approved a third reading of an ordinance amendment for camping at Lake Eddleman Park and Kindley Park. Included in the changes are prohibiting camping at Kindley Park, a permit fee for camping at Lake Eddleman Park and penalties for criminal activity and violating the ordinance.
Thomas Wallner editor@grahamleader.com
A third and final reading of ordinance amendments related to camping on city lakes was approved by the Graham City Council this week. Changes include prohibiting camping at Kindley Park, a permit fee for camping at Lake Eddleman Park and penalties for criminal activity and violating the ordinance.
Following reported concerns by the city code enforcement officer, a draft ordinance amendment was established to prohibit camping of any type at Kindley Park.
“City staff proposal is to prohibit camping at Kindley Park as a public health and safety measure. City staff are not recommending full closure of the park,” City Manager Eric Garretty said in April. “The council was previously briefed on the current issues at Kindley Park. ...The proposed ordinance amendment would formally prohibit camping at Kindley Park and amend regulations regarding disposal of trash.”
The Graham City Council met Thursday, May 9 to discuss the final reading of the ordinance amendments and add changes from the second reading Thursday, April 25. From the first to second reading city staff had significantly revised the ordinance.
“Staff were concerned that the ordinance, as originally proposed, did not provide stringent enforcement provisions and length of stay provisions,” Garretty said in April.
Under the ordinance public camping on Lake Graham is not permitted, but public daily fishing and picnicking are permitted at Kindley Park and Lake Eddleman Park. Both parks will be open from sunrise to sunset with quiet hours from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.
A permit fee for camping at Lake Eddleman Park was approved to be increased to $20 per day, or $120 for seven consecutive days, to offset the cost of electricity, water, security fencing and a permitting system.
Those who stay at Lake Eddleman Park must leave after 14 consecutive days and cannot return for a period of at least 30 days before requesting another overnight camping permit.
City Secretary and Finance Director Marci Bueno and Code Enforcement Officer BJ Cook researched an automated permit process for camping at Lake Eddleman Park and would provide an alternative paper process at Graham City Hall. Processing fees for obtaining a permit online will pass onto the campers and make the rate higher than the $20 rate set by the city.
“You are going to have to give us a month or so to prepare… (but) let us take off and run with this, make a couple of improvements, get everything up out there,” Garretty said. “(We will) keep everything status quo out there for now and then let us implement it and then we will come back to you with a report on what we want to do next.”
Campers with exceptional circumstances, such as camping in the park while working a job in the area, can request a variance to stay past the 14 days and have it submitted to the Code Enforcement Officer and City Manager for review and approval. A stay longer than 180 consecutive days will not be allowed.
The boat dock at Lake Eddleman will remain available 24/7 to the public, but sleeping or habitation in vehicles parked at the boat ramp and swimming in the area of the boat ramp are prohibited.
“This is preventing someone who wants to camp over on the boat ramp side because it is open 24 hours,” Garretty said. “Swimming has always been prohibited around the dock for safety reasons, but we just put it in the ordinance to emphasize that no swimming is allowed in the area of the boat ramp.”
Those who violate any aspect of the proposed ordinance will be ordered to immediately vacate the park, forfeit any permit fee paid and will be prohibited from using the park facilities for one year and may be subject to fines or penalties.
Signs will be posted at both parks with restrictions for each park individually, as well as having the hours of operation and restrictions for those who commit criminal activity at the parks.
“If you are doing something illegal (officers) have the authority to exercise their law enforcement procedures to remedy that violation of the penal code,” Garretty said. “…What we are emphasizing here is don’t be committing offenses in our parks because if you do we are going to issue a trespass affidavit against you and say you can’t come to any city parks. What we are saying in that section is ‘Don’t commit crimes in our city parks because if you do you’re risking your access to city parks.’”
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