Kayakers get ready to land at the Pier Road boat launch in Cape Porpoise. Sydney Richelieu / Kennebunk Post

For many residents of Kennebunkport, access to the water is important to their way of life. Not only do boaters require access to the water, but paddle boarders and kayakers alike.

Those kayakers are now raising concerns about the lack of access for non-motorized boats in the Kennebunkport area.

Recently, a kayak launch on Pier Road in Cape Porpoise was outfitted with bollards to prevent parking, making it difficult for kayakers to access the launch.

The launch had been available to kayakers since 2011, when the town authorized an easement agreement with the residents on Stonehaven Drive, where the launch is located. The agreement granted the use of the kayak launch for recreational purposes, including vehicular access and parking.

“We lost that when we had to agree to a new agreement with Stonehaven,” Kennebunkport Board of Selectmen member Allen Daggett said last week.

Residents of Stonehaven Drive recently brought forth concerns with the level of use the launch had seen over the past decade, and the decision was made to prohibit parking at the Pier Road kayak launch.

Kayakers are still able to access the launch, but they must walk kayaks or paddle boards to the launch instead of unloading at the site.

One resident, Gerry Dworkin, said in a Facebook post that access to the harbor and the river is virtually non-existent for anyone other than commercial fishermen and recreational motorized boaters.

The boat launch at Pier Road has been outfitted with bollards to prevent parking. Sydney Richelieu / Kennebunk Post

“The Kennebunk River is a beautiful recreation area perfect for kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding,” Dworkin wrote. “But access to the water is restricted.”

A boat ramp at Langsford Road is still accessible, but it is limited to use by motorized boats, and reservations must be made on the town website.

Despite this, Dworkin said he plans to launch his kayak from the boat ramp this week, and he encourages others to do the same.

“For a tourist and recreation-friendly town, there is no longer any suitable access to the harbor for anyone wishing to launch a non-motorized boat,” Dworkin said.

At a selectmen meeting last week, board member Jon Dykstra said the town is in the process of looking for a suitable kayak launch.

“We have one site that we are still in the process of pursuing,” Dykstra said. “The hope is that we can locate a suitable site that would be able to provide sufficient parking for kayak use.”

For now, however, kayak access remains limited to the Pier Road boat launch. Those wishing to launch motorized boats can make reservations for the Langsford Road boat launch through the Kennebunkport website.