Marina shocked by dictate to open Cottonwood Park
By LAURA CHILDRESS

The ordering of the immediate opening of Cottonwood Park by the Little Elm Town Council last week has left Cottonwood Creek Marina management shocked.

Jennifer Morris with Cottonwood Creek Marina, which subleases the property, including that of Cottonwood Park, from the town, said the action has left marina management stunned since the park was already open.

“They’re forcing us to open a park that’s open,” she said. “It’s been partially opened since May and completely reopened since June 21.” Morris noted that while the park was closed, just as Little Elm Park was, following last summer’s flooding, it was reopened in September. A portion of the park was then blocked off for construction beginning in December as the marina expanded three docks and installed a new wave breakwater.

A removable cable running across the entrance of the park’s access road, though, was no signal that the park was closed, Morris added.

“That cable does not represent that the park is closed, nor do any signs say that,” she said. “It merely restricts vehicular access.” Morris said the cable, which has been up as long as the marina has been in business and has been an ongoing issue between the town and marina, was removed by town staff on the council’s instructions prior to the holiday weekend, against the direction of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which leases the property to the town.

Upon the town’s request for clarification regarding the Corps’ stance on the cable, Eric Pederson, the Corps’ acting site manager over Lewisville and Ray Roberts Lakes, noted in June 20 discourse with Little Elm Parks Director Tony Chrisman that the cable was initially put up at the town’s request in an attempt to stop the illegal activities occurring in the park.

Pederson explained that the cable was agreed to, in joint discussions between the marina, town and Corps, as a temporary measure to curb those activities.

He added that the picnic area is usable but does require walking from the parking lot.

Pederson further noted that if either the town or marina wishes to open the picnic area up to vehicular traffic, then certain improvements need to be made first to ensure the negative activities the cable was intended to curb do not return. These measures include roadway and parking improvements, ingress and egress control and appropriate fencing to stop off-road vehicle traffic.

Morris noted that this clarification on the Corps’ position regarding the cable was never relayed to the marina by town staff, nor relayed to the council by Councilman David Hillock during his report at the July 1 council meeting.

As for alleged debris restricting public access, Morris noted that such accusations were false.

“There is no debris on the shoreline, nor has there been, that restricts access to the shoreline,” she said.

Morris added pictures shown depicting debris along the shoreline date back to last summer’s flooding.

Morris admitted that while the debris located near the marina’s storage area is larger than agreed to under the current agreement with the town, that issue along with the screening between the park and ball fields were among those marina staff hoped to resolve in a meeting Wednesday, July 9, with the town and Corps. Morris added that meeting had been requested by the marina and scheduled June 24, a week prior to the council’s action.

Morris noted that, with the marina’s lease agreement being reinterpreted with every change in council, the marina had contacted town staff about resolving the ongoing issues once and for all in October. A town committee to review the lease and documentation between the town and marina was established in April, with the committee determining that all marina commission fees owed to the town had been paid and a parks management guide was to be developed that would include the governing of the relationship between the town and marina.

Morris said that the development of a parks management guide will be beneficial to the long-term relationship of all parties involved and hopes that the town and marina can resolve their ongoing issues so that it can be created.

Morris added that the marina also hopes to refute the false impression created by the council.

“The marina has been tainted by the report and the council’s accusations,” she said. “We’re not some hideous business. We have a clean, accessible, pristine, award-winning facility.” Cottonwood Creek Marina was named Marina of the Year in October 2007 by the Marina Association of Texas, the second time for the business to receive the honor.

Morris added that the marina is proud to be a part of the Little Elm community, participating in lake safety programs and holding fish fries and other community functions.

“We’re very much pro-community,” she said. “That’s part of the reason we won 2007 Marina of the Year.”