Everyone knows about the public boat ramp at Columbia River Park, but there’s another boat ramp – less well known – that’s also open to the public. Anyone wishing to use it simply needs to follow Union Street past the intersection with Front Street, then across the railroad tracks and towards the river.
The ramp is a bit unkempt but paved well enough to allow a vehicle and trailer access to the river. According to a representative of the borough’s highway department, this lower section of Union Street is public, as is access to the river via the ramp. Potential confusion is created by two PRIVATE PROPERTY signs standing on both sides of the road, several yards past the railroad tracks. The signs, which designate property owners’ private tracts may have been strategically placed to discourage traffic on this block of Union – and to the river.
Columbia Spy has also been informed that, under federal law, access to the shoreline is a public right. In other words, you may walk along it, despite property lines, where physically possible. Rivers are subject to federal navigational servitude, including federal navigational easement, as explained HERE and HERE.
Here’s a view not everyone gets to enjoy. This photo was taken from the boat ramp.
Columbia Spy 
One drawback to using this ramp is access to parking. Boaters could possibly park along the 100 block of Union, or even along this lower section of road, considering that it's public.
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It is sad to think that about 10,000 residents have to share a very limited number of riverfront feet, while about 35 families control the rest of what would otherwise be available.
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Everyone down there who think they're entitled to own it should be run off. EVERYONE. They can shove their 'no trespassing' signs you-know-where.
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The borough employees should have removed the no trespassing signs on this section of Union Street. I guess it is okay for me to post no trespassing on each end of the street I live on and expect drivers to obey them! The people who own these cottages need to stop thinking this is their private, tax payer funded, resort!
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The cottage owners pay both school & borough tax just likw every other property owner in this town. so b4 u speak check your facts it is not a tax payer funded resort
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The cottages are called private property toy self entitled Jack wagons. It's no different than then moaning and crying because they can't walk through your yard!!! Everyone had equal opportunity to purchase a place down there over the years. If you chose to blow your money on other junk you are NOT entitled to someone else's PRIVATE PROPERTY!!! The owners have to post signs because half the town thinks they're entitled to everyone else's stuff!!! These are private houses just like the houses all the whiners on here have. How about you post your address and let us use your property for our own recreation. Typical section 8 , mooching of other hard workers efforts mentality that's rampant today.
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When are you going to put your sewer pipes in??
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Stop putting chit in the river!!
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And only about a dozen of those 35 have primary residences elsewhere in Columbia. Others are from East Hempfield, West Hempfield, Ephrata, etc.
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I think that person's point is the road is public and repairs and maintenance are funded by all taxpayers, making it public property.
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You best learn the laws, the shoreline IS public property. Not sure of it's 10 feet or more. Maybe the borough should build a river walk all the way from River Park to the Highway shed.
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The focus of the article is public access not cottages or cottage owners.
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What about septic? Everyone else in town has to have public sewer.
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They'll have to hook up to LASA. Wonder if the borough will help out. Better not. We'll be watching.
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NO, everyone did NOT have equal opportunity over the years to purchase a place down there, that is a lie. They have been passed down through generations and/or sold to friends. This does not compute, there are only a few dozen cottages and there are thousands of homeowners. One was for sale in recent months, with a price tag of about 389,000. dollars. Now as for the signs, I have owned five homes, in all areas of Columbia, and NEVER had to post a no trespassing sign and never had problems. THANKFULLY, I have not ever needed section 8 housing. The signs at the entrance areas where cottages are located are absolutely there to intimidate the public into believing it's all private.
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Maybe some day a developer will get all that riverfront land through eminent domain. And before anybody types out a reply, please review Kelo v. City of New London. It can be done.
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Just checked. Thanks. That's interesting. Another 5-4 decision by our inimitable Supreme Court:”Kelo v. City of New London, 545 U.S. 469 was a case decided by the Supreme Court of the United States involving the use of eminent domain to transfer land from one private owner to another private owner to further economic development.”
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I checked the Lancaster County GIS site. Union Street to the river and the road that runs through the cottages, known as Riverfront, are not included within the parcels (property lots) and therefore is a public road. They would be public roads as they are not included in the taxable property parcels, much like the street in front of your home. The side road that runs to the Lancaster Water Plant does appear to be a private drive as it runs through several parcels. The borough should have those “private drive” signs removed, with the exception of the drive that leads to the water plant.
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FACT CHECK: Tax money is being used to repair the road. Some property owners are placing signs along said road to keep people out. Sounds to me like a tax payer funded issue!
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It's a landmark case, in my opinion. Don't know if it ever achieved that status officially, though.Another landmark case was Gibbons v. Ogden. That's useful for when people scream that the town should force the railroad to do this or that…. Not happening. –FMB
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Prior to the formation of the Heritage Cottage Group, a non profit organization, the land was owned by Safe Harbor and was leased to the cottage owners. If you purchased the cottage, you only owned the structure and not the land beneath your foundation. No bank would be willing to fund a structure without the land being part of the transaction, so financing would have to be personal or group funding.As for the LASA question on the cottages. They would have to invest in a pumping station with grinder pumps to facilitate this low graded land. This would cost LASA a fortune for a group of twenty plus cottages sitting on this land.The only dedicated thoroughfare would be Locust Street (now closed) and Union Street. All owners do pay taxes to Columbia Borough and have invested in their properties since this transaction has taken place. So in the future when one of the cottages come up for sale, make sure you put a bid in.Columbia Pride!
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Were they paying taxes to the Borough during all the years that they were leasing it?
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Are they properly assessed then? And paying their fair share of tax? I just noticed a home down there under construction, becoming a 3 story.
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It was discussed at a recent borough meeting that a line might be run along Heritage Drive, but the question is who would pay for the excavation and installation – LASA or the borough.
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Oh it best NOT be the borough. Tax money is not to be used to pay for home owners utilities.
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I will not live long enough to wait for one of the cottages to go on the market. I'm not sure if the lone one that was for sale recently ever actually sold at the asking price, but for 389 thousand dollars one has to wonder what kind of sewer system you would get.
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Because the federal government has control, that's exactly why the people must speak up.
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Right, the railroad enjoys broad powers because the federal government controls interstate commerce:”The Supreme Court extended the definition of interstate commerce and cemented the power of the federal government over the states when laws conflicted.”
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Was a permit posted?
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The borough needs to update and publish a complete map and mail it to every household.
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I didn't dare walk down there by myself to see if there was a permit.
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Permits are for polebarns!
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Yes, the pole barn hearing was only a year ago.
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That would be informative; therefore, it won't happen.
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The comment that states ” I didn't dare walk down there by myself”…this is exactly what they are doing INTIMIDATING!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I wonder what the commenter was afraid of.
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Imagine if there were shops where the cottages are located. Visitors walking through and stopping to get coffee and maybe even purchase a kayak. It would be such a cool draw. Columbia and its PRIDE, too selfish.
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Right, the isolationist mindset must go. We can no longer afford it.
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Some of us have more passive personalities. I wouldn't know what to do if I walked down there myself and was verbally attacked or physically assaulted by a cottage owner.
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There will be no openings in this private club, no bids, and no diversity. It is what it is and will always be.
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Let's hope that wouldn't happen, because if it did, it would be considered assault.
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There are penalties for that.
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Well those people down there seem to be connected to the local politics and being by myself, I would not have a witness either.
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All of the cottage owners have owned, and maintained these properties for many generations. The land was recently purchased by the cottage owners. The signs are to protect the owners from any liability should anyone get injured or worse yet drown. Some owners have had to confront people who have been using the the docks that they have built and paid for. We bought our properties and pay taxes just like every homeowner in town.
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Yes the cottage owners have always paid taxes to the borough and to the school district and why don't they have sewers because they have not run sewer lines down there yet when they do they will have to hook up and the borough will not be putting any money into it the owners will pay for it so why don't you all back off the cottage owners they paid for the land it is theris those cottages have been there for years so why the big fus now?
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Yes taxes were paid before taking ownership.
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No docks allowed on the river per say north-fork!!!
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Should have been voted on “THE LAND” by tax payers at the beginning!!!!
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LASA will be knocking on your cottage door very soon!!
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My understanding was that taxes were only paid on the land, NOT the improvements on the land when Safe Harbor was the landlord. So I STILL question the assessed value the property owners are paying tax on.
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