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June 9, 2006 - Mr. David Knaak, Rochester, New York

I have been trying to obtain, online, highlights of the report on the proposed change in lake level control but seem to be having some difficulty. Untill I do I can only express my general thoughts as a property owner on the south shore of Lake Ontario. Our family has lived at this location for almost 50 years and our home has gone from a home that is one with the lake, a beautiful shore line and beachfront home that friends and relatives could enjoy interacting with nature, exploring the coast and feeling a responsiblity for being a good steward, leaving a legacy for our children and grandchildren to a place that has become a fortification against the constant pounding by the waves driven by a strong north wind. Satellite photos show a home bounded by lake waters only a few feet away. Almost nowhere in the Rochester area would you find a natural beach front as the need for higher and hig! her levels for shipping. marina and power generation take precident over the safety and concerns of the property owners. Gone are the days that a picnic could be had at the water's edge. Gone are the days that the children could be seen playing on the sand under the watchful eyes of the parents. Gone are the days that anyone will have any vested interest in seeing Lake Ontario as anything other than a view from afar. A bit of irony here in closing, the Town of Greece still levies property taxes on land that has long since been gobbled up by hurricain Agnes in 1972. Both the IJC and the local governments act as if property owners resiliancy is infinite. I was just reading an artical concerning lake levels in 1999 where the lake was at a 35 year low and I can't help but feel that that short period where some buffer appeared at the water's edge was the impetus for the resulting change in control levels. If it is, the commission should take a longer view and disregard that shor! t fluctuation. Additionally, the south shore takes the brunt ! of the lake's brutality. No-one has ever heard of a "So-easterner". I hope that you will consider the plight of families trying to keep their homes intact and give fair representation against monied interests that appear to be pressing for a change in regulations.

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