Photos courtesy of Pete Cox

A post on the dock contains a fire extinguisher and a hook for a throw ring. An alarm will sound if either is removed, serving both as an anti-theft device and to alert neighbors of an emergency.

Lake Forest community dock

Lake Forest residents lounged, sunbathed and swam from the dock Memorial Day weekend after a wooden community dock was replaced with a floating dock.

Making dock design decisions can be difficult, increasing so with the number of people involved. But at the Lake Forest condominium community in Union Hall, the homeowners replaced an old dock without ruffling anyone's feathers.

Doug and Tina Barton are among the 18 families at Lake Forest. Doug Barton said everyone was in agreement that an old wooden dock needed to be replaced, but homeowners wanted a consensus on design.

"If you've got 18 [families], you're going to have someone unhappy," said Barton. "We wanted everyone to be happy."

A dock-replacement committee was formed and Barton led the project. He said the committee sent a survey to residents asking what they wanted to have incorporated into the dock design.

The responses overwhelmingly pointed to four things: areas to sunbathe and congregate, access to swimming, personal watercraft parking and fewer boat slips.

The old dock wasn't suiting any of those needs, said Barton. It was a stationary dock comprised mostly of boat slips. There were far more than the community needed, as Lake Forest has two additional docks providing 18 slips.

With input from homeowners, the committee began searching for dock builders. From a recommendation, they checked out the floating community dock at Lakestone Condominiums in Union Hall.

"We were concerned about a floating dock being too rough," said Barton. "We came across this Wahoo Docks design, and the way they did it really minimizes the movement on a floating dock because of the pure size of it and the ballast."

When the bids came in from building companies, the Lake Forest homeowners chose Pete Cox, owner of Lakeside Services, a Wahoo Docks installer. Barton said they went through a few designs before choosing the final.

"We went and got a majority vote by the residents," said Barton. "[We] sent out a design to the folks and had, in essence, a large conference call where everybody that was a resident was offered an opportunity to participate."

After the conference call, homeowners sent their votes to Lake Forest's managing company. Barton said 14 of the 18 units voted, with only one "no" vote from a homeowner who wanted to wait another year to save money for the project. It was a personal investment, said Barton, because they did not use the property owners' association's reserve fund.

The dock was completed just in time for Memorial Day weekend. It was buzzing with activity as families lounged in the large open area and children swam in a roped-off fishing hole built into the dock.

Barton said it has since become a community gathering place. The condominiums are generally small, making it difficult to entertain indoors. The outdoor patio each unit has also is too small for entertaining. With the new dock's large lounging area, residents have more space, said Barton.

"There's a lot more activity out on the water and the dock now," he said. "There's far more sitting area than there ever has been."

Recently, the homeowners ventured down for a wine and cheese party to officially christen the new dock, said Barton.

The Lake Forest homeowners enjoy various aspects of the new dock. Parents with young children or grandchildren appreciate the swimming hole, said Barton. It's roped off, so children can feel protected from passing boaters.

Another safety feature is a post that contains a fire extinguisher and a hook for a throw ring. Cox said an alarm will sound if either is removed, serving both as an anti-theft device and to alert neighbors of an emergency.

"Hopefully, we'll never have to use any of the safety side," said Barton.

The post offers other features, however. It automatically lights up when the sun goes down, offering illumination for residents who want to hang out on or fish from the dock late at night.

Barton said he's heard many positive comments from residents about the new dock. The only negative has been how hot it can get for bare feet.

"We've attached a hose out there so you can spray the thing down," said Barton.

One negative from 18 families is pretty good, he said. Besides, hot feet are better than what they used to have.

"Before, we had to worry about splinters," said Barton. "Now we have to worry about the hot."

Lake Forest community dock

Homeowners: 18 families

Location: Union Hall, near B33

Dock size: 1,787 square feet

Date built: spring 2010 by Lakeside Services

Amenities: two boat slips, space for multiple PWC tie-ups, swimming hole