To sink or swim a proposal surrounding the scuttling an over 100-year-old ferry. Burlington Parks and Recreation’s harbor commission listened to presentations and public opinion on The Ferry Adirondack project Tuesday. It is the first of what is set to be two public meetings.Organizers behind The Ferry Adirondack Project believe its presence among other vessels in Lake Champlain will attract divers from all over to come to the area. “It offers a lot of different opportunities for training and exploring,” Jonathan Eddy with Waterfront Diving Center said. “What we would like to do is create an artificial reefer underwater historic preserve with the now retired Ferry Adirondack.”The project has already been approved for federal and state permits but the state permit is currently being appealed. Next, the organizers of the project said they need approval from the City of Burlington. There is no formal application process in Burlington that would get the project approved. “The proposed location will mean it will be in a concentration of shipwrecks in a general area which will make it attractive to divers,” Eddy said.The sinking of the ferry met with mixed opinions from members of the public. People who spoke at Tuesday’s meeting expressed concerns about the risks sinking the ferry could impose on the lake, as well as cost issues and the overall transparency of the company behind the project. “My concern is how long will the ferry be safe at the bottom of the lake,” Kay Frances Schepp of South Burlington said. “Wood, plastic, metal, chemicals that have been in the different toilets and engine rooms. They eventually will be dispersing regardless of cleaning.””I’m skeptical of the company’s publicizing,” Mathias Dubilier said. “How much publicity they gave to the project.”Port Engineer John Paul said that the vessel will be inspected and approved before it is sunk. In regards to cost, he said that it is actually more expensive to sink the ferry but they want to do anyway.”Sinking a vessel is a great way to preserve it for future generations,” John Paul, Port Engineer with Lake Champlain Transportation Company, said “It’s not a cheap and easy way to get rid of a ferry vessel. There’s rumors out there that we just want to sink our junk in the lake and that is absolutely not true.”
To sink or swim a proposal surrounding the scuttling an over 100-year-old ferry.
Burlington Parks and Recreation’s harbor commission listened to presentations and public opinion on The Ferry Adirondack project Tuesday. It is the first of what is set to be two public meetings.
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Organizers behind The Ferry Adirondack Project believe its presence among other vessels in Lake Champlain will attract divers from all over to come to the area.
“It offers a lot of different opportunities for training and exploring,” Jonathan Eddy with Waterfront Diving Center said. “What we would like to do is create an artificial reefer underwater historic preserve with the now retired Ferry Adirondack.”
The project has already been approved for federal and state permits but the state permit is currently being appealed. Next, the organizers of the project said they need approval from the City of Burlington.
There is no formal application process in Burlington that would get the project approved.
“The proposed location will mean it will be in a concentration of shipwrecks in a general area which will make it attractive to divers,” Eddy said.
The sinking of the ferry met with mixed opinions from members of the public.
People who spoke at Tuesday’s meeting expressed concerns about the risks sinking the ferry could impose on the lake, as well as cost issues and the overall transparency of the company behind the project.
“My concern is how long will the ferry be safe at the bottom of the lake,” Kay Frances Schepp of South Burlington said. “Wood, plastic, metal, chemicals that have been in the different toilets and engine rooms. They eventually will be dispersing regardless of cleaning.”
“I’m skeptical of the company’s publicizing,” Mathias Dubilier said. “How much publicity they gave to the project.”
Port Engineer John Paul said that the vessel will be inspected and approved before it is sunk. In regards to cost, he said that it is actually more expensive to sink the ferry but they want to do anyway.
“Sinking a vessel is a great way to preserve it for future generations,” John Paul, Port Engineer with Lake Champlain Transportation Company, said “It’s not a cheap and easy way to get rid of a ferry vessel. There’s rumors out there that we just want to sink our junk in the lake and that is absolutely not true.”
