Saranac Waterfront Lodge Managing Director Anura Dewapura checks out one of the Dack Bikes parked at the hotel on Aug. 31. These bikes were installed before the village Development Board approved them, but the village code enforcement administrator had allowed them to continue through the summer. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Cerbone)

SARANAC LAKE — A new local bike-sharing company, Dack Bikes, set up its first bike rental location at the Saranac Waterfront Lodge last month. Though the service has been used by lodgers and locals this summer, the installation has not been approved by the village yet.

Saranac Lake Development Code Administrator Paul Blaine said he has allowed the bike rentals to continue through the summer — because he sees no immediate problem with the installation, and he thinks it’s a good thing for the town — on the condition that the owners seek proper approval through the village.

The village Development Board will consider a site plan amendment for these bikes at its Sept. 7 meeting. The site plan amendment was discussed by the village Development Board at a work session Tuesday evening. Blaine has recommended the board approve the project.

The bike-share installation is part of a larger site plan amendment proposal at the Saranac Waterfront Lodge. The hotel is submitting this amendment because though its initial plans were to only rent paddle and motor boats to hotel guests, it now wants to open those rentals up to the public.

The hotel has also been renting boats to the public without official village approval, but again, Blaine said he’s given this the OK as long as the owners seek proper approval.

“I think it’s great for the village, but unfortunately nobody got to see if they needed approval,” he said.

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Miscommunication

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Blaine said Dack Bikes Manager and Operator Joshua Blackwell contacted him a week before the bike rental hub was installed. Blaine asked for more information on the project, to see if it would need village approval, but he never heard back. Blaine said he’s had a “hard time” communicating with Blackwell and Calli Shelton, who owns Dack Bikes.

He said there’s been miscommunication between them. There’s also some bad blood between Blaine and Shelton over the failed restoration of the Dew Drop Inn she attempted in 2017.

Blaine said there will not be any fines levied against the business owners for starting up before village approval.

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Conflicts and amendments

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Dack Bikes plans to install pick-up and drop-off locations around the village in the coming year. The hotel hub would be the largest one in town. There are seven bikes parked in the turnaround by the front door of the hotel, under the overhang.

Shelton feels this village approval is unnecessary and that it discourages business. She believes the approval process for these bike installations is unnecessary. Shelton said the installations have a small footprint and use no utilities. She compared them to installing a vending machine.

She believes the bike share program should be classified as accessory use on a commercial property. Blaine has classified it as a retail site, which requires site plan review by the Development Board.

He said if this was just an accessory use for hotel guests it wouldn’t need village approval, but since it is also for public use it does.

Shelton said the approval process is long, difficult, expensive and discourages business.

“It’s just another instance where the village planning board and Paul Blaine in particular is obstructing economic progress in this town,” Shelton said. “Delays cost money.”

She said she’s had an easier time working with the Tupper Lake code department in hopes of installing Dack Bikes locations there next summer.

Blaine said the applicants can challenge his classification before the Development Board if they want.

The main concern was if this would impact traffic on a busy section of state Route 86 running by the hotel. Blaine said he does not see any problem it could cause.

Shelton worries the village will limit rentals to hotel guests only. She said the village should not be able to tell her who she can rent to.

“In my opinion, it shouldn’t be limited to the guests,” Blaine said. “But that’s a determination that will be made by the development board.”

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Wanna borrow a bike?

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Blackwell moved to Saranac Lake in February from Chicago, with his partner Jon. Blackwell is a chef by trade, but was out of work during the COVID-19 pandemic, so he helped Shelton get Dack Bikes off the ground.

Shelton operates Saranac Lake Vacation Rentals LLC, which has multiple cottage and condo rentals throughout the region.

Blackwell said Saranac Lake is well-fashioned for biking. Renting bikes allows people to use a nice bike to run errands or just go for a joyride without making the investment in buying one, he said.

There are bike-sharing services in most major U.S. cities.

Blackwell said he’s used rental bikes in Birmingham, Alabama and Chicago.

“I’ve used the (bikes) myself, personally. It’s a great way to connect tourists with the region personally,” Blackwell said. “It’s a very quick, spur of the moment process.”

Saranac Waterfront Lodge Managing Director Anura Dewapura said he hopes it will be a good alternative to driving cars around.

To rent a bike, people must use the Movatic app. Instructions for renting are printed on the bikes.

The bikes are on a 15-minute or hourly rate — $2 for 15 minutes; $8 per hour.

Blackwell said they’ve partnered with Human Power Planet Earth for repairs and $2 helmet rentals.

Each bike has a locking mechanism, solar powered battery and GPS locator.

“We’ll know where the fleet is moving about,” Blackwell said. “Once more docking stations get activated, we’ll have an even better idea of how bikes are moving around.”

Next year, Blackwell said they plan to introduce membership rates for locals. They can pay a one-time fee and check out whenever they’d like. Shelton also said they plan to expand into Tupper Lake next summer.

Blackwell also said they plan to add e-bike rentals.