Morgantown Dominion Post
7 October 2005
By Evelyn Ryan
When Morgantown's go-ahead to build a boat dock in the Monongahela River arrived, Ralph LaRue was off and running.
LaRue, with BOPARC, is in charge of overseeing the $125,000 available to build the dock - $100,000 of it a federal Boating Infrastructure Grant.
"On Monday, we received official written permission to begin the BIG dock project," he said. The money's being split with Star City. Star City will use it to expand its existing docks. In Morgantown, the project is a little more complex.
The dock will be built on the Monongahela River directly behind the stage at Hazel Ruby McQuain Park, LaRue said. Electrical service to the stage, which will also serve the dock, isn't adequate, so new power service is a major expense.
Morgantown must also build a handicapped-accessible sidewalk to the new dock.
The dock will be available for public fishing.
Patrick Donovan, acting director of the W.Va. Port Authority, said he sent Morgantown a "go-ahead" letter as soon as he received an authorization to proceed from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The only role his agency has, Donovan said, is to monitor expenses and make sure they are proper. These docks will serve boaters with what are called "nontrailerable" boats, big ones that can't be towed by your car or truck. This area has several places where smaller boats, which can be towed, can load and unload.
"I'm happy to report an engineer is already working on the project," LaRue said. "Allegheny Power is working on the power."
Because winters have been so mild, LaRue hopes city crews will be able to build the sidewalk by next spring.
"We've got to pay for the walkway, the electric. Whatever money is left will buy the actual docks," he said. These docks will serve boats 22 feet and longer.
These big boaters want to come to Morgantown, but don't have anywhere to dock, said Don Strimbeck, who's been working on developing the river as a recreation area.
"I know from my own conversations with people at 10 Mile Creek and Twin Rivers that people with your long-range cruising boats will come," he said.
"They say if they had a place to go south of the Point Marion Lock they would do it. There's no place to go now. This will encourage the long-range boaters to start visiting Morgantown."
LaRue said the dock will have electric hookups for these boats, running through the box at the park's stage. Upgrading the service isn't easy, because the electric wires are all underground. Allegheny Power submitted its first first proposal on doing the upgrade, including cost, he said. "So far their cost figures have been excellent. I was afraid we were going to spend much of the grant on the infrastructure."
"I'm excited to have Wally (Venable, an Upper Monongahela River Association Inc. member) and Don (Strimbeck) involved. We're going to need some volunteers and we're going to expect them to rally the troops," LaRue said. "That $50,000 is not going to go too far if I have to pay for everything. I'm going to need their help."
This project is separate from the $26 million marina-public theater project under development by Platinum Properties next to the Radisson Hotel.
Once the BIG docks and the marina are done, he said, it will help the association lobby Congress to increase funding so the locks south of Morgantown can have longer hours. The locks have limited hours because of a drop in commercial traffic on the Monongahela in West Virginia.