St Jean ramps Stay Away

[shadow7663]

Just thought I would let everyone know,

The security that was promised to be there is unreliable. Semo Post of Harbor Hill marina, who manages the ramps has agreed to keep a guard on duty Friday-Monday Night until 12 midnight.

There was a guard last weekend for only 2nights out of the 4 agreed upon nights, I still called Semo to express my thanks for him answering our concerns.
Weekend 2, I paid a guard this afternoon who informed me that a guard would be present until midnight. I get a call while I am out on the river from a friend at 6:30 p.m to inform me that there is no guard, no lights on in the lot, and people roaming the lot that do no belong there( thieves and gangstas)

I strongly suggest that everyone stay away until we can get some security there on a regular basis. A few fish is not worth getting mugged, beat, shot, or having the glass busted out of your vehicles.

It seems that Semo just blew smoke up everyone's ***** so he could get more business. There are also some rumors floating around about who actualy owns this property and the terms in which it is leased to Harbor Hill Marina. I WILL look into this further and any legalities to see that that we can get this ramp in the hands of a good management team!

[MiketheElder]

Do a Google search of Detroit Riverfront or Detroit Riverfront Development. Lots of stuff popped up. I haven't digested it yet. Looks like a ton of public money is finding it's way into the pockets of developers. Stay tuned.

Mike

[Ed Michrina]

You go Jason. If worse comes to worse, I'll pull my boat over to Canada and put in free (except the toll) at one of the 2 ramps I know over there.

[Big Bob]

The city of Detroit owns the ramps. Also known as Vaughn-Reid Memorial Park. Look at the following link, click East Riverside, this is the future of this area. As I see it ramps will be in place (new?) and it appears it will be operated by the city? http://www.ci.detroit.mi.us/plandevl/advplanning/pdfs/MPlan/MPlan_2004/cluster3post.htm
(http://http://www.ci.detroit.mi.us/plandevl/advplanning/pdfs/MPlan/MPlan_2004/cluster3post.htm)

Fish on :cool:

[MiketheElder]

www.ci.detroit.mi.us/plandevl/advplanning

Looks like they gave it to some gradeschool kids to draw it up.

Listed as a Major Park. Wonder if it will occur in my lifetime.

Big Mike

[neversunk]

Another great example of the effieciency of Kwamye's management team. But of course....he has everything under control to make the riverfront safer and more user friendly for people to come into town from the suburbs. Why does'nt he loan us one of his 5 bodyguards I've seen surrounding him as he walks through Cobo Hall? Four more years....four more years....four more years....
They can't even figure out to run a friggen boat launch so how can they run a whole city?

[Ed Michrina]

cuz the ramp, that means so much to us fisherman is nothing money wise to Det. It's all about money. If it was $20 a vehicle it still wouldn't total enough to raise any political interest. Trust me there is someone who likes to fly kites in a Det. park saying the same thing .That doesn't pay the bills for det. Its all about $$ and we don't matter .Be Glad there is still a ramp on the det. river :(

[double trouble]

why dont we just buy it>?

http://www.glsc.usgs.gov/detroitriver.php?action=sites&id=8

[Bruce William]

We can't afford it as a not for profit group, and even if we got 100 people to invest in $ 180k to buy it it would be worthless as an investment since you could never sell it and make a profit. My two cents is If ANYONE has a contact with the DNR we should approach them about taking it over and having a Michigan DNR presence on the new "Detroit Waterfront."

Eminent domain is the only solution here and we as a group of sportsman could probably lobby a pretty good case if we mobilized our constituency.

[Robert Hoover]

that really bites guess ill be taking the cruse this year down the shoreline . id rather have a truck with a trailer to put my boat back on when i come back than a pile of glass under my feet and a gloc to my side with a hand diggin in for my wallet:sad:

[Hotwired]

From what I heard the DNR sold it to the City of Detroit for $1 back in the 80's and the City of Detroit leases it to Harbor Hill Marina for $1 a year.
Under the original agreement from the DNR it is supossed to be manned 24/7.
We all need to keep calling Harbor Hill Marina, The City of Detroit and the DNR to keep pressure on them to get this place up to where it should be.

[alex-v]

I agree with Hotwired. We have to start working together to get the situation corrected. It will take some work and time. Certainly will not be an overnight project.

While most of us can understand the frustration presented by "shadow7663" and will agree with it there is a better solution than just avoiding the situation. If we continue to bad-mouth the St. Jean ramp and call for a boycott it will not be long before no one will guard it for even a minute. And it will not be long before it is entirely gone and replaced by some high priced subdivision with canal lots. If that continues to happen then our public waters will become the private playground of those who want or can afford to live on the river.

The old saying still applies. Together we will win, seperated and we all will loose.

[Houghton laker]

Well to add to the situation....I was followed by my work partner from the grosse pointe marina to St.jeans where I droped off my truck and trailer......went straight back to the marina where I got in my boat...traveled back to st.jeans docked it...walked up to my truck and trailer and noticed my tail light hanging off the trailer and the license plate gone!!!...only cost me $5.00 but wished it also cost me the cost of 1 357 shell!! Maybe a body displayed with a sign...."thief" would fend off some of the others!!! Just my 2 cents on the subject!

[alex-v]

...walked up to my truck and trailer and noticed my tail light hanging off the trailer and the license plate gone!!!...only cost me $5.00 but wished it also cost me the cost of 1 357 shell!! Maybe a body displayed with a sign...."thief" would fend off some of the others!!! Just my 2 cents on the subject!
Only $5 to fix the light and replace the plate? It was one of those permanent trailer plates, right?

As in the vein of THE SCARLETT LETTER we should be allowed to tattoo "thief" on their forehead, using a blunt nail and a hammer, before the spending the cost of a 357 shell.

[Houghton laker]

$5.oo for the plate...light was not damaged....just hanging from the thiefs undoing the nuts to get the plate off!!.....and yes...it was a permanent plate!!

[shadow7663]

As in the vein of THE SCARLETT LETTER we should be allowed to tattoo "thief" on their forehead, using a blunt nail and a hammer, before the spending the cost of a 357 shell.

It takes less effort to gently pull the trigger. :lol:

[Ju30-30]

What would anyone want with a permanent trailer plate? I could see taking one from a car to put on a different car, but a trailer plate seems kind of strange.

[Houghton laker]

1-trailer plate = 1- rock of Crack :rant:

[BigDaddy]

Anybody have a number to call and complain? If so, please post.

[double trouble]

why do you think we stay out of the city.kawame and his crooked fraternity brothers can have it.the petty crime in the neighborhoods has gotten much worse as the economy has tanked.st. jean has never been a safe haven.i only launch there on weekends when gene is there.otherwise forget it. i wonder if alter road is any better. i quit going there when the water levels were low but maybe its time to switch back until we get a full time guard.i feel a boycott in the making.we know almost all the regular users of that ramp and a good lot of them are on this site. i used to give directions to st. jean and recomend it because it is such a good launch site ,but if we can not be protected, we should all take our buisness elsewhere. i am sure that greyhaven or one of the private marina's would open to public use if st. jean closes.just thinking aloud.

[Hotwired]

Call Harbor Hill Marina at 313-331-6880.
Ask for Semo Post and give him an earful.

[shadow7663]

Call Harbor Hill Marina at 313-331-6880.
Ask for Semo Post and give him an earful.

You can also tell him I sent you!!!!!!!!!! he will appreciate that.....:evilsmile

[Big Bob]

I will call him 11/17/05. :grouphug:

Fish on:cool:

[Big Bob]

I spoke with Semo Post for about 20 minutes and he seams to want to improve the launch area and provide adequate security. This will come at a price. I would not mind paying a few extra bucks if knew my vehicle would be safe when I got back to it. The city who does own the ramp and leases to Harbor Hill has not supported this area as far as security goes. At night the thugs, pimps / holes and crack heads move into this area and the unattended lot is easy prey. We talked about an automatic gate with card / voice entry at a cost of about $13000(?). He did not know if this is a feasible option at this point. Semo assured me that things will improve next season. I will continue to keep an eye on this and remain in contact with Semo. If we all stick together and make our voice heard we can make a difference. Silence is acceptance.



Fish on :cool:

[alex-v]

i am sure that greyhaven or one of the private marina's would open to public use if st. jean closes.just thinking aloud.
It would seem this way but most of the other private marinas do not have the facilities to handle the daily transient traffic that comes with an open to the public launch ramp. Think about how much space would be need just for the parking of 10 to 15 vehicles and the trailers while everyone is out fishing.

It is bad enough that there are not enough launch sites on the bottom end of the lake and the upper river. If we were to loose the St. Jean ramp the situation could become pretty hectic on prime spring weekends when the fishing is really taking off.

[javelin]

This Semo guy is full of Sh%t, there is now way they would put up that kind of security gate on leased property. If it's not feasible to buy the launch, LET'S LEASE IT INSTEAD OF SEMO. Launch fee's for a year - $1.00 for lease = a lot of money!!! We could take the profits and donate back to the site as well as improvements to the existing area. I'm sure with all of us and our resources we could get a gate built to keep the thugs out! What were those morons thinking voting Kwame back in, typical detroit!!!