No more free boat launching for Lake LBJ visitors in Sunrise Beach
The boat ramp at GSLE Park in Sunrise Beach Village. Staff photo by Maci Cottingham
Visitors using the once-free boat ramps on Lake LBJ at Sunrise Beach Village parks now have to pay. The city recently passed Ordinance 407, which requires non-residents to purchase daily or annual passes to use the ramps at:
- McNair Park, 213 Park Road;
- GSLE Park, 335 Park Lane;
- or Lakeshore Park, 501 Park Terrace.
Sunrise Beach Village residents and property owners are eligible for two free launch passes per household per year. Each additional pass is $200.
The new rule is to fairly spread the cost of ramp maintenance, according to Mayor Rob Hardy.
“We absolutely do not want to deter folks from coming into Sunrise Beach, to launch their boats or for any other reason,” Hardy told DailyTrib.com. “At the same time, boat ramp usage is not maintenance-free, and it did not seem fair to burden only the residents for usage (through taxes) and not folks that don’t live here (to) help with the upkeep.”
The new ordinance only applies to trailered watercraft. Canoes, paddleboats, paddleboards, and kayaks launched by hand and not transported by trailer are exempt.
Day passes may be purchased for $10 at a city-owned boat ramp by scanning a posted QR code. These passes are only valid on the date of purchase, and payment must be made prior to launching or retrieving any trailered watercraft.
Annual applications for residents and non-residents may be obtained on the city’s website or at City Hall, 124 Sunrise Beach Drive. An annual pass for non-residents is $200. Yearly passes come with a sticker that must be displayed above the state registration tag on the tow vehicle’s windshield.
The tow vehicle must be registered to the pass applicant at the same address listed on the application. Annual passes:
- are valid for the calendar year, expiring on Dec. 31;
- are non-transferable;
- and must be renewed annually.
Those violating the city’s boat launch pass ordinance face fines of $100 to $200. Each day the vehicle is in violation will be treated as a separate offense.
The new boat launch policy was developed in response to resident feedback and several months of public input. Until now, Sunrise Beach Village was one of the few communities on Lake LBJ that did not charge for ramp use.