Pompano Access Update

[ricki]

Thanks to the continued efforts of Frank Pelly over many months we have regained some lost ground in Pompano.

Question is will we keep it? Our actions and community support for sustainable kitesurfing will likely decide whether we keep access to this regained launch or lose it and likely more beyond that.

This is what Frank sent me:


Last night the city commission unanimously approved expanding the kiteboarding locations in Pompano Beach to include 13th street in addition to 16th street. This was the first of what will be two meetings and vote on the ordnance change. The next meeting will be later this month.

Couple of points.

1) Now that this has been publicized, I would expect some opposition. Everyone needs to be on their best behavior. Eyes of the city and residents will be watching. This can be voted down and we risk loosing our rights if there is a public outcry at the next meeting.

2) I posted below the code changes. Please note that these changes strengthens the language that we need to stay outside the buoys. Tickets and restrictions may ensue if this continues to be blatantly ignored.

3) The code change states “operators… are responsible for the safe operation of their equipment”. What this means is if you do not know what you are doing, you will be ticketed and asked to leave. This also means if folks continue to have the need to do tricks on or near the beach, you will be considered not operating your equipment safely and ticked and asked to leave. In drafting this, several folks from the city and advisory boards wanted lists of restrictions. This was written in to ovoid an ordnance which would have several do’s and don’ts, registration, registration fees etc etc. In fact this was originally presented to the Commission with the recommendation for life guards to monitor and manage the kiteboarders. This was the compromise I negotiated. If you have the urge to show off clost to the beach, and bring in unsupervised beginners, there are other beaches you can go to do this further north of Pompano. We live is a city and need to work with what little we can get.

4) If this is approved at the next meetings, I will be working with the city to post appropriate signage. The signage I am negotiating would, in addition to the one posted at 16th street, state that swimmers and beachgoers should stay out of the kite areas. 13th street will need to sailboats removed as well which the city will support. This would help with some of the congestion and safety issues.

This is it. With all the restrictions taking place in South Florida, we have managed to expand our use of the beaches. We need to embrace these changes and work together now to preserve what we have.


Here is the new ordinance:




Thanks Frank! Now that we have 13th St. back, let's take real good care to keep it, ok? We need everyone's help in doing this.


Things like ...

1. Launch, get offshore through the launch corridor without delay, get out past the buoys and stay out until time to come in.

2. NO RIDING inside the buoys. Want to ride the shore break, go somewhere else where this isn't usually a problem.

3. Learning to stay upwind? Sad to say, you need to go somewhere else, for now.

[ricki]

This just in from Frank Pelly:

Fyi,

The amendment clarifying kiteboarding, the need to stay outside the buoys and the opening up of 13th street has been approved. Now we have both 16th and 13th street designated for kiteboarding. I am now working with the city on the signage that would go up.


The give take on this is we gained some more space, however, kiteboarding and the need to stay offshore has been better defined. It is up to us if this is going to last and the sheriff now has more teeth to enforce blatant violators in the hot spots around town.

Frank"

[ricki]

Thanks Frank for working this through so diligently. Ditto that big time, it is up to US to try to secure our launches. The majority of the riders are fine. We shouldn't allow the few to screw things up for all of us. Peer pressure when properly applied with tact and numbers can do impressive things.

Thanks again,

[John Moriconi]

Over the July 4th weekend I noticed a sign at 13th street In Pompano Beach. The sign read No Kiteboarding at this beach Please go to 16th street. I thought the City of Pompano Beach gave the approval for Kiteboarding at this location??? What gives???

[ricki]

I spoke to Lia about this. She thinks it might be the old sign pending replacement. As far as we know, there have been no new changes to access at NE 13th Street.

Let's work to keep it that way.

[ricki]

New signs went in. Franks was there when they were installed and took these photos.


Here the north sign marking the corridor



South sign




So few rules, easily lived by too by responsible kiters. It won't work for newbies or for instruction but repeated past problems have forced this situation upon us. Want to ride the break, launch and ride well north of the inlet where there is almost no one on the beach or hit the bar south of the inlet at a good tide.

It is good to have options, let's work to preserve them. This beats:

1. Mandatory annual registration and substantial fees for EACH riding area
2. Rider number caps
3. Carrying registration cards & flying streamers, again for each riding area

Crandon has had these for years, it was a special case, the ONLY one in North American that comes to mind. LBTS may have this in place soon to manage the very few riders that kite there and minimal reported historical problems. I hope this is NOT an exact model to be copied in other areas. Imagine, $100.+ per coastal town or city. That would be around $1000. per year per rider for Broward alone. Lots of us ride all over routinely, in MULTIPLE counties. How many thousands of dollars per year might we have to pay to be able to ride.

Which way do we want to have things? The choice is OURS to make through our actions and the peer pressure we bring to bear. Do not TOLERATE using tact, poor kiting behavior which may TAKE YOUR OPTIONS away from you. Group project, get involved, it was serious before, what do you think it is NOW? It is easy to point fingers, but has the kiting community responded with sufficient effect through self policing to maintain access yet? Look at the recent results, you decide.

Thanks again for all your help in this Frank.

[ricki]

Do us all a huge favor, if you ride in Pompano, read over the rules, follow them yourself and do your best to make sure others do the same. No one wants or needs more hassles, right?