PLUMMER, Idaho – Boat garage and cabin owners at Rocky Point and Chatcolet Marinas are upset with Idaho Parks and Recreation after being informed they will have to remove their garages and cabins for a proposed marina rebuild.
The owners lease through the State of Idaho at Heyburn State Park. There are around 80 garages and cabins on both sides of the lake.
Lessees received a letter from parks and rec about the decision, according to boat garage owner, Jamie Wilke.
“I don’t know what the future is going to hold. I don’t know if I’ll have anything or even be able to go to the lake at all,” Wilke said.
The proposed rebuild at Chatcolet Marina would include 162 slips, 245 parking spaces, a boat launch improvement, a retail store and a fuel station, according to a fact sheet provided to Wilke by parks and rec.
Here’s a picture of what the proposed rebuild would look like:
The Rocky Point rebuild still appears to be up in the air. Although a potential rebuild could include 116 boat slips, 165 parking spaces, 26 trailer spots, wave attenuator, boat ramp improvements and a non-motorized launch area, according to a fact sheet provided to Wilke by parks and rec.
Here’s a picture of what the proposed rebuild would look like:
“At first I was just so sad. I was crying. I was thinking my retirement – I plan to retire here in three or four years,” Wilke said. “I went from being sad to being a little bit angry.”
Parks and rec cites environmental concerns due to aging structures as one of the reasons they want to move forward with the rebuild, according a letter provided to boat garage owner, Brian Jackson.
“We’re just kicked to the shore, just kicked out, like that,” Jackson said.
Boat garage and cabin owners will have to remove their property by this fall, according to Wilke.
“There’s no way I could afford to take that big ole boat garage down myself and pay for that. I spent all my savings just to get the boat garage,” Wilke said.
Some people have spent up to $20,000 on some of the garages, according to Jackson, and some of the buildings haven’t even been completed.
“So they started building but they’re not going to finish,” NonStop Local’s John Webb asked Jackson. “Well yeah, you can’t. You have no home. So now what are you going to do? That’s a lot of material. That stuff is not cheap,” Jackson said.
NonStop Local reached out to parks and rec on Monday and Tuesday, but they never returned emails or calls before publication.
However, some owners are hopeful they’ll be able to keep their garages and cabins.
“I think we can work together and keep everybody’s boat houses and improve the marinas together,” Jackson said.
So they can continue making new memories with friends and family
“I just don’t want to lose it. We’ve had too much fun,” Jackson said.
