Deadline Looms For Exclusive Slip Rentals At Eichler’s Cove

By Kendra Bobowick

Uncertainties are rising to the surface at Eichler’s Cove Marina, a small inlet that nudges the Monroe town line. Parks and Recreation Director Barbara Kasbarian is doing her best to answer all questions that arise.

“I want to let people know about it. Many are not aware that the town purchased Eichler’s Cove,” she said. Residents can soon benefit from the recent acquisition of the quiet inlet that occupies the furthermost southeast corner of town. Parks and Recreation’s involvement should not be confused, however,

“The town owns it,” stressed Ms Kasbarian.

An additional third party, previous owners Bill and Carol Marchetti, will manage the facility and handle rentals.

Also circulating are inquiries on uses for the small marina. The formerly private parcel includes a boat launch and seasonal boat rental slips, offers a small recreation and picnic facility, and will include swimming. The compact cove may not necessarily be a replacement for Dickinson Park’s pool, which is no longer open for swimming. Newtown residents may now apply for slips and launch passes at the cove. However, time is nearly over for residents’ exclusive opportunity.

A March 1 deadline opens rentals to nonresidents. “We hope [residents] will take advantage of this,” before time is up, Ms Kasbarian said.

The Cost Of Doing Business

The Lake Zoar privileges come with associated costs that are higher than those in bordering towns. Newtown boat enthusiasts may be in for some literal sticker shock when purchasing a seasonal pass. Eichler’s Cove marina fees offer slip rentals to residents for $1,000 seasonally for craft 19 feet and under. As outlined on the town website, www.newtown-ct.gov/Home/, those renting a slip may also rent a picnic table for the season for $150. The marina has 65 slips.

As of last week just seven were rented. Undaunted by the low number, Ms Kasbarian explained that this season’s rentals are ahead of the Marchettis’ pace, noting Ms Marchetti “usually gave her renters until May. This could be why it’s slow, she never pushed.”

Most of her rentals were from out of town, Ms Kasbarian explained. For those curious about the cost of a slip, First Selectman Herb Rosenthal explained that “appraisers gave us comparables, and found some that were a lot higher.” Mr Rosenthal was not able to quote the exact price from memory, but did say that the appraiser found that other slips on Lake Candlewood, for example, were as much as $2,000 or $3,000. He feels that the $1,000 slip fee is “a real buy.”

Boat launch passes for the season — May 15 to October 15 — are $350. Daily passes are advertised for $15 during the week, and $20 on weekends and holidays. Beach fees, available to residents only, are $5 per person. The department’s website also warns that there will be no lifeguard on duty.

Ms Kasbarian warns that although Eichler’s Cove and affiliated fees are provided in the Parks and Recreation brochure and on their website, “we are just advertising” the town property. Park and Recreation did not determine the fees. The Board of Selectman approved fees, Ms Kasbarian said, although her department, the board, and the Marchettis collectively discussed the costs.

Neighboring Monroe and Oxford have boat launch areas on Lake Zoar, although no public facility offers slips in those towns.

Public access to the lake’s launches in Monroe is a proposed $60 for the coming season, an increase over last season’s costs, according to the Monroe Parks and Recreation Department. Monroe’s boat ramp is just beyond Eichler’s Cove, accessible from Route 34 just several hundred yards before the Stevenson Dam. Monroe is considering a $40 fee for Monday through Friday passes, and offers a day pass of $20.

Oxford’s Parks and Recreation Director Debra Gatto indicated that her town’s fees are comparatively low. She said the town has a boat launch, and prices have remained the same for the past four years. Residents must have a boat permit sticker, which is $5 for the season. Nonresidents pay $125 for the boat launch sticker.

Newtown also owns a second boat launch (but not slip rental) on Lake Lillinonah, which is open to the public. Costs are significantly less than Eichler’s Cove will be.

“We charge $45 for the season,” said Ms Kasbarian. However, the launch is “manned only on weekends, and if we could have someone every day the fees would be higher.”

The large discrepancy in price is not without a reason.

Combined with slip rental revenue, Mr Rosenthal said, “We were hoping the marina could pay for itself and we would not have to spend money to operate it.”

Further explaining reasoning behind the high-priced boat launch pass, he said, “If operations generate enough revenue it might reimburse the town for the purchase. Hopefully it will be just enough to cover costs.”

Explaining these costs, Mr Rosenthal mentioned payments for licensing, the “costs of crew, either our own or hired, to maintain the property, and paying the management.” The management salary is $44,000, he said.

More thorough discussion revealed other motives behind the marina’s purchase, and subsequent pricing.

“Acquisition was primarily to maintain access to the lake,” he said. Mr Rosenthal feared that if the town had not made the purchase, another marina owner or other private party would have bought Eichler’s Cove.

“If it sold to another owner we might lose access,” he said. New owners could apply for zone changes, for example, and develop the area, he said.

Acknowledging that some residents may be upset with the high boat launch price, Mr Rosenthal said Eichler’s Cove “wasn’t meant to provide discount boat passes for people.”

For those who feel their taxes have covered the purchase, and question the additional and high launch fees, Mr Rosenthal did not hesitate to reiterate that the cove was purchased to maintain access to the lake. Stating his own stance on the topic, Mr Rosenthal said, “Every taxpayer in town paid taxes for the property, and [boaters] are the only ones who want to run boats.” He also drew a parallel to residents asking the same question about why they should have to pay to enter other town facilities.

“You can make the same argument about why you have to pay for a pass to Dickinson,” said the First Selectman.

Simply stated, “users pick up the costs,” he said.

Of the 65 slips available for rental at Eichler’s Cove, the Marchettis are allowed to rent half of them to previous renters. All money comes to the town. Bill and Carol Marchetti have been hired to manage Eichler’s Cove for an undetermined amount of time. The cove’s rules and regulations specify the following: No alcoholic beverages, Newtown residents only, visitors must display a current permit on their windshield, and visitors must present a boat launch pass to launch a boat.

Launch hours are from 7 am to 8 pm, marina hours are 7 am to 10 pm, beach hours are from 10 am to 6 pm, and swimming is permitted in designated areas only. Parking is limited and entry is on a first-come, first-served basis.

There will be no overnight parking or camping allowed. No dogs will be allowed at the beach area, although boat slip renters may bring a dog directly to the boat from the car and leashes are a must.

There will be no boat fueling on dock slips, and shoes are to be worn on the dock at all times. The ramp is for launching or removing boats; swimming, fishing, and mooring or maintenance from the ramp will not be allowed.

No open fires. All boats must be properly registered and meet regulations pertaining to safety equipment such as open exhaust or excessive noise. The town of Newtown is not responsible for any lost, stolen, or damaged personal property.

In past months the town purchased the $1.425 million parcel, which is within eyesight of the Route 111 and Route 34 junction. Bordered by Old Bridge Road and Halfway River, Eichler’s Cove sits on 10.53 acres and has become Newtown’s only public access to Lake Zoar.

A Changing Cove

Historian Dan Cruson surmises that the cove came into existence along with Lake Zoar in 1920.

“It’s a product of the lake, essentially,” he said. An old photograph reveals a dirt road with a rowboat on the bank of a small body of water; two children are walking away from the camera and around a bend past more children splashing in the water. Several boys are pitched precariously over the bow of a canoe, paddling through the sheltered inlet, which Mr Cruson believes is Eichler’s Cove more than 80 years ago.

In one his books, Images of America, Newtown 1900–1960, a photo caption reads, “Bucolic Stevenson … several boys sport in the water of a cove, newly formed by the flooding of the Housatonic valley to create Lake Zoar. This road leads to Point Lookout, where the marina is today.”

“The old-timers I talk to say if you look and turn to the left [from the cove’s furthest point] you see a hill juts out into the lake,” Mr Cruson said. “That could be Point Lookout.”

Commenting on its significance, if any, he said, “It’s just a good view.”

The cove’s early photo of residents enjoying a swim or boating is an indicator of what the area would become. Most recently the town purchased the area from owners who rented boat slips for the season. Newtown intends to carry on that tradition of maintaining Eichler’s Cove as a marina, recreation area, and boat launch with slips for rent.

“It’s certainly a spot for getting your boat into the water,” Mr Cruson said.