Day Island Wall Lovers - Please Read

[MXGratefulDiver]

Ah, the kilt picture...yeah, that was the one I accidentally sent to my parents... OOops.
Well, I've already opted not to dive there a couple of times last week when I could have -- actually, I think it was just Friday night, but that's one less vehicle. Another suggestion has been that if we are going to dive this as a SMALL group, meet somewhere and carpool. That's less vehicular impact on the islanders. Then the usual, no peeing, not gathering like the 'hood is a pub, NO BIRTHDAY PARTIES (I didn't even know about that! No wonder the Islanders are fedup with us!!!)

Usually if we have more than four people going over we'll meet at Titlow and leave a few cars in the parking lot there ... then carpool over to Day Island.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[badgirldivin']

Carpooling to the site is an excellent suggestion. Since we can't/won't elimate this site as a beach dive until further notified, we must mitigate our presence. I've spoken to our shop dive organizer. UWS Lakewood has been notified. Other shops use this site as a class area. I've been there during some shop's nitrox class and advanced class. So hopefully the word will be spread to all the shops.

 

[rachelscott51]

Boy, I'd sure hate to lose the right to dive at that beautiful site. Hopefully we can quiet things down a little and be respectful to all the property owners.

 

[badgirldivin']

I did get a reply from the city councilman today. I e'd him and asked if I could cut and paste his reply to the forum site. He's not responded to that yet. Does anyone know: Do I have to have his permission to do so?
Anyway, he's not heard anything about the petition but has had phone calls of complaints regarding diver behavior. He says if he gets many more calls, he will investigate the closing off of the site's public accessway and beach...):

 

[Buccaneer]

Perhaps the shops that use the site alot, like Tacoma UWS, could sponsor a day where we give something back. Maybe once every 6-8 weeks instead of diving the site we could go down there and istead of diving, pick up some of the garbage, or work on trail improvements. Maybe get a dive shop to help fund an unobtrusive sign pointing out the valuable natural beauty and resources as a dive site and reminding divers that the site is in their care. Personally, I don't know how feasible all this is as I personally have only been there by boat and have not seen the trail, but it is an idea and this idea could be pitched to the local city council as well.

 

[JackConnick]

Anyway, he's not heard anything about the petition but has had phone calls of complaints regarding diver behavior. He says if he gets many more calls, he will investigate the closing off of the site's public accessway and beach...):

This issue and problem has been to the courts before. They used to have a gate and key there for a while, you had to check it out, etc. But it is public access and they cannot close it off. The homeowner and city was sued and it was resolved as such.

Our club rarely has "club" dives there, preferring to take smaller groups by word of mouth. We limit the vehicles by carpooling from Titlow and avoid it on the weekends altogether. The jerk there threatens and bluffs, but the rest of the neighbors are cool as long as people are respectful. I talked to a cop who was there on another matter, turned out he was a diver and we had a nice chat. It is a public road and public parking according to him.

But I agree it is not a site for crowds and shops and clubs are being silly by taking large groups there.

Jack

 

[badgirldivin']

Okay, I'm going to post the councilman's reply to me since I've not heard back from him:

By way of history, prior to the City 's incorporation in 10/95 the County
installed a gate across the 19th Street right-of-way between Day Isalnd
Blvd and the Puget Sound. The gate was installed because Day Island
residents complained about diver activities. While parking was an issue,
late night parties, trespass and indecent exposure (urination and
defecating on the beach) appeared to be the real annoyances. However,
because the Shoreline Management Act prohibits jurisdictions from blocking
access to the water, The State Department of Ecology (DOE) sued Pierce
County to remove the gate. When University Place incorporated, the law
suit became DOE v City of UP. The City reviewing State statue agreed with
DOE, removed the gate and the law suit was dismissed. Day Island
residents did not appreciate the City giving in to DOE so the City Council
meet with Day Island residents to see what could be done to address their
concerns. As a result , in 1997 the City submitted an application for a
Shoreline Permit to turn the 19th Street right-of-way into a day use park,
allowing the City to lock it at night. The Hearing Examiner, conditioned a
gate on complaints. In other words the City would not be able to gate the
right-of-way unless there were complaints to warrant it. Between 1997 and
2 months ago, I am unaware of any complaints and therefore the City did not
gate the access (we placed boulders at the entrance to prevent vehicle
access). About two months ago we began receiving complaints about divers,
again parking was an issue but unfortunately there was also a nudity
incident that sparked outrage. It seems that some divers are their own
worst enemies. If the City receives enough complaints to warrant gating
the right-of-way we will consider doing so in accordance with our shoreline
permit. The best solution is of course compromise and maybe a little more
consideration on everyone's part.

 

[badgirldivin']

Perhaps the shops that use the site alot, like Tacoma UWS, could sponsor a day where we give something back. Maybe once every 6-8 weeks instead of diving the site we could go down there and istead of diving, pick up some of the garbage, or work on trail improvements. Maybe get a dive shop to help fund an unobtrusive sign pointing out the valuable natural beauty and resources as a dive site and reminding divers that the site is in their care. Personally, I don't know how feasible all this is as I personally have only been there by boat and have not seen the trail, but it is an idea and this idea could be pitched to the local city council as well.

Since I dive the site a lot, we were thinking about doing something along the lines of giving something back. What we wanted to do was for those divers with cameras, we wanted to print up some of their great Day Island pix in multiple copies and leave them on the doorsteps of the people's homes...like the guy doing the backyard landscaping, the lady across the street from him whose yard we park all over but she doesn't care, the person who lives in the house across the street from Angry Man. I don't think anyone wanted to put anything on Angry Man's front porch as he would probably look at this as a burglary attempt or something.
As for cleaning the path and street of trash, I haven't seen trash. We're not a trashy lot. We're offensive in other ways, but leaving garbage is not one of them.
I think these threads and postings are good because a lot of ideas have come to light, and it's made me -- at least -- realize that I need to watch my P's and Q's when I'm there. I'm not a big offender, but I do sit around post dive and chat. How silly when the Ale House is right up the hill!!!!

 

[kalvyn]

I don't think anyone wanted to put anything on Angry Man's front porch as he would probably look at this as a burglary attempt or something.

Speaking of Angry Man (I like that!), here's his real name, just in case you want to say hi when he's stalking around the diver's cars while you're at the site:

Mr. Angry is Lewis R. Jones and Mrs. Angry is Gail. This is public information, discovered using the Pierce County Assesor's website:

http://www.co.pierce.wa.us/cfapps/a...rcel=3425000460

Naturally, the Pierce County web page is down at the moment (garned Government workers!), but when it's back up check out how little that house is assesed for! I think the assesor was hitting the bottle that day.

Jimmie

 

[badgirldivin']

Wow, there's a posting on the NWD forum that says that landscaping guy and the lady who lives in the house on the corner that everyone parks in front of, on the side of are also in the "fight" to close off the public access. Bummer!!! I didn't think of them as adversarial.