Tag Archives: White Lake

An open letter New White Lake community dock could extend to 40 feet with resident support

Open Letter to White Lake residents:

As you may have noticed the community dock at the boat launch has been removed by the officers of the White Lake Shores Association for whatever motivations they have.

Therefore, a group of upland owners have constructed a 20-foot long, six-foot wide dock for use by the cottage owners, the fire department and local businesses.

Please read your abstracts. It’s your right to have docks with “ingress and egress” to them without paying a fee or being placed on a waiting list. The abstract of your property reads:

“The parties of the first reserve the right and privilege to build boat houses and docks along the shores of said mainland which said docks may extend into the water not to exceed forty feet.

“The parties of the first part reserve the right to build in common with others and maintain a dock or landing place on the southerly shore of the lake at the point now commonly known as Sandy Landing (Beach A) which dock shall be used for the landing of motor boats or other small boats.

“The parties of the first part reserve the right of way in common with other cottage’s on White Lake over a trail or foot path for the purpose of providing and continuing short and easy access for foot passengers from White Lake to the train station. (Maple Road)”

Currently, the dock is 20’ long and length can be added with your help. Another 20’ section is about $2,600. Docks can go into state waters up to 40’.

If YOU would like a longer dock, we need your financial help by sending any donation to the White Lake Dock Fund, P.O. Box 4, Woodgate, NY 13494.

Thanking Bill Rockhill of Bear Creek Carpentry and vice president of the Woodgate Fire Department for design and construction; Al Bruni, Dave Carrier, Tony Brusco cottagers and White Lake Inn for making possible the new community dock.

The dock in the past has been used for the fire department water rescues as will this dock, and can be used to allow easy access to your boat without climbing over the side and possibly causing injury. This is to be a community dock for your use.

Thank you for your support. It will be appreciated and we are sure the dock will benefit your boat launch too.

Brian Albert 

On behalf of the White Lake 

Dock Fund

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Supreme Court favors White Lake upland owners, cites Association with contempt

New York State Supreme Court Justice Bernadette T. Clark on June 29 ruled in favor of adjacent upland owners of White Lake and found the White Lake Shores Association, Inc. in civil contempt of court for violating the upland owners’ deeded rights by placing fences, gates, ballards and other obstructions on the property known as Beach A at White Lake near Woodgate.

Justice Clark ordered the immediate removal of the obstructions.

In her decision Clark reinforced four previous court orders and actions by Justice Edward McLaughlin (June 1981), Justice Leo F. Hayes (October 1981), Justice James P. O’Donnell, (May 1982) and Justice Anthony F. Shaheen (October 1986).

All previous orders had enforced the covenants, easements and restrictions that in part stated that “no fence shall be erected upon the premises, no established roads or trails shall be blocked or no boat shall be drawn upon the beach or tied to posts in the lake in such a way as to interfere with the free and undisturbed use of bathing beaches or established boat landings by owners of said lots unless written consent of the grantor.”

The original grantor of the easements to upland properties was Samuel T. Russell, who in a letter to the Utica Daily Press on April 18, 1926 stated that “when I deeded to the Wood Ice Company, many years ago the property which included the bathing beach known as Sandy landing, adjacent to the state road, I inserted a clause in the deed forever guaranteeing to public access to the lake from across this property.”

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