By Rob Busweiler Citizen Staff

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The city of Marathon is caught in the middle of a row between residents who live around the Dodge Lake boat ramp and fishermen who want to use it for pre-dawn and post-dusk trips.

The Marathon City Council recently agreed the ramp should be closed from sunset to sunrise, heeding safety and noise concerns from Harbor Drive neighbors, who say the constant influx of boat trailers is wreaking havoc on their block.

The problem with the ramp, which has been there for more than 20 years, began in 2006. The old ramp's steep pitch made it difficult to launch larger boats. The council decided to fix it, but the original contractor was rebuilding it even steeper.

The city pulled that contractor off the job, refused to pay him, and hired another contractor, Randall G. Tedder Construction, which built what many residents consider to be one of the best launches in the city. Its shallow pitch and deep water allow for such an easy launch that it has drawn both local and tourist boaters away from the city's other two public ramps, one at the end of 33rd Street and one near the site of the old Quay Restaurant on Overseas Highway.

The problem is the ramp is in the middle of a residential area, causing parking and traffic problems. Further complicating matters, boaters used an empty lot next to the ramp as a parking lot, until the property owner agreed to put up barricades. Still, the congestion has gotten to be too much for some neighbors.

Tania Piedra, who lives two lots away, told the City Council she was worried about the ability of emergency response vehicles to get down the block if there were boat trailers in the street.

"In an emergency, every second counts," she said.

In the past, the council has ordered no-parking signs to be placed around the area, but the residents say there has been little enforcement. In an effort to increase the peace, the council recently decided to have the ramp closed after sunset.

Almost immediately after the new hours were posted, the city began receiving other complaints.

"It seemed for a neighborhood ramp [the new hours] were a good idea," City Councilwoman Marilyn Tempest said. "Apparently there are commercial people out there who use the ramp for work."

Although a sign declaring the ramp closed after sunset still remains, it is unclear if the edict will be enforced. Tempest has suggested the council hold a special workshop meeting to hear both sides of the case at once.

"I think we need to hear what they say," Tempest said. "There are residents there that should be heard."

Some of the ideas being tossed around include selling stickers to allow use of the ramp and charging tourists a higher fee, which is currently being done at the boat ramp at Founders Park in the Village of Islamorada. The enforcement again would pose a problem.

"I can't see us putting a booth out there," Marathon City Manager Clyde Burnett said.

Limiting the ramp for only residential use also was suggested, but according to the city's legal staff, such a move would not be allowed. The problem may resolve itself, because the city has plans to upgrade the other two public ramps in town.

Work on the Quay boat ramp already has begun. All three locations have limited parking, however, and Councilman Don Vasil has asked for some more forward-thinking. He asked why a ramp could not be put behind the City Hall office trailers at the waterfront lot on 101st Street.

"There is virtually unlimited parking back there," Vasil said.

There has been little use of what the city calls the "events field" behind the office trailers. A group of residents in town have lobbied for part of it to become a dog park and are working on getting outside financial support for the project.

rbusweiler@keysnews.com