GAINESVILLE - Gainesville Mayor Danny Dunagan is asking residents to contact the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to show their support for the annual National Championship Rowing Regatta planned for Memorial Day weekend in 2016.
The Corps is taking public comment on a request from the American Collegiate Rowing Association for special consideration to hold the annual event at the Lake Lanier Olympic Center in Hall County, where it's been for several years.
According to Corps spokesperson Lisa Parker, this is the first time the agency has asked for public comment on the regatta, which concerns local officials who don't want to lose the economic impact of the event.
Dunagan said there's an agreement with the Corps, from when the venue was built, that prohibits events on holiday weekends during high lake use periods. The regatta has happened anyway for the last five years.
"It just was brought to the attention of the Corps that it was on Memorial Day weekend, and so they said we couldn't do it without going through the process," Dunagan said.
While the event goes through the Corps' public comment process, city officials are touting the economic benefits of the annual event, which brings around 1500 people to the region each Spring, according to the city.
"It's not just the effect for Memorial Day weekend for that regatta, it'll have an onlasting effect with teams coming down from the north and so forth to train at the venue," Dunagan said on the impact for the region if the event was not held.
Gainesville Tourism Manager, Deb Gregson shared the mayor's concern. She said economic impact surveys indicated the regatta brought in over $1.2 million last year. That number reflected only the dollars spent by the actual teams.
Gregson said she also surveyed family members of the rowers this year.
"They're not just coming in for those two days (regatta), they're coming in for the week prior to, or they're coming in for that weekend and they're staying for another week."
She said that translates to even more money for the region.
"They're staying here and then they're going out and seeing everything else, then they want to come back again," Gregson said.
In addition to the economic impact, Gregson also said the event has been safe and accommodating on the water.
"It's just been so easy and easygoing, and everybody on the lake, especially up in that area, they love to see it," Gregson said.
As to why the corps decided to seek public comment this year, Dunagan thinks it was just an oversight in the past.
"I guess it's just been overlooked, and so the event's just been being held without having to get a permit."
Parker said it's about the agency's policy.
"The corps has sought public comment because our USACE policy does not allow large and/or major special events to occur during periods of high use at Lake Lanier (example holiday weekends). However, the corps may give special consideration to a special event based on the design and purpose of the area where the special event is proposed to occur," Parker wrote in an email.
When asked if the policy has changed, therefore precipitating the public comment for 2016, Parker wrote, "Because it is an exception to the policy, and the location and design and purpose supports the regatta. But, we foresee other requests that would have larger and greater impacts on the lake, and those may not be approved depending on the impacts, scope and scale of the event."
Despite the concern from the city, Dunagan said he thinks it will all get ironed out in time for 2016.
"We've talked to the corps, with Tim Rainey, and if there's no public opposition to it, he didn't see a problem. It's just a process and the way they have to do business," Dunagan said.
Parker also sounded optimistic.
"More than likely the Corps will approve the permit, because the location is in the northern end of the lake, and the design and purpose for that portion of the lake was created for rowing events, and furthermore, that location has supported numerous rowing events in the past."
When asked if the corps had received complaints about the regatta, Parker said, "No, we have not received complaints in the past. The regatta has always been well supported by the Lake community."
AccessWDUN's Alyson Shields contributed to this story.
