South Norwalk Boat Club seeks small dock extension at 17 Mack Street; commission raises no objection

Matthew Schuler, a licensed professional engineer representing South Norwalk Boat Club, presented a pre‑submission plan to extend and widen three finger docks at 17 Mack Street’s south dock tree to address stability problems and improve berth widths for boats. Schuler said the project would extend narrow 2‑by‑16‑foot fingers, widen them to approximately 3 feet and add piles at the ends; he estimated an increase of roughly 212–217 square feet including piles and said the work would stay inside previously dredged limits and keep the fairway open. "Getting them out to 26‑foot long fingers actually allows the boats to get fully in the slip," Schuler said.

During discussion commissioners confirmed the proposal’s property‑line limits and dredge boundaries, asked about square footage and navigation clearance, and noted one commissioner recused from the decision because of his affiliation with the boat club. A motion that the commission had "no objection" to the pre‑application moving forward was made, seconded and carried by the commissioners present. The commission directed staff to note the absentee/recusal and include the result in the minutes for the formal application process.

Commissioners framed the measure as a repair and safety improvement consistent with the Harbor Management Plan; no final permit was granted at the meeting — the action was a non‑objection to advance the formal application process.