Cooper River - Camden County, New Jersey

It is important for the colleges and their extended families to support the ECAC's efforts to be good neighbors at Cooper River Park. The site has more than eight regattas each year and it is a great venue for rowing. The Camden County Parks Department has established a master plan designed to alleviate congestion and create an atmosphere that is fan friendly.  To that end they have moved the bus locations away from the homes across from the Staging Area; are restricting vehicle access to areas that used to have much more grass, and will limit traffic on North Park Drive on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.  The ECAC has worked with the park officials to retain use of the Staging Area as well as give the preferred parking arrangements for a vehicle on each team. Please help us work cooperatively with the park and its neighbors.

TEAM AND ALUMNI TENTS

Teams, Alumni, and private vendors will not be allowed to erect tents adjacent to the finish line area before Friday, June 1, 2007 at 8:00 a.m.  Permission to erect all tents must be obtained directly from Michael Letzeisen, ECAC Coordinator of Operations and Services, who will be on site beginning Tuesday, May 29, 2007.  A tent application and payment must be on file with Mr. Letzeisen prior to the regatta start date of May 31^st.

TEAM ACCESS and PARKING

Tuesday, May 29, & Wednesday, May 30, 2007

The Staging area will open for trailer access at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 29^th.  If your trailer arrives prior to Tuesday it will not be admitted. (If you come in under cover of darkness on Monday night, expect to have your trailer towed.  You will be billed for any such activities).

Beginning Tuesday morning only crew trailers and the trucks will be allowed in the Staging Area. Once in, tow vehicles will not be allowed to exit and return as per orders from Camden County Parks Department.  There will be no in and out access to staging area.  Referees and other Officials will not have access to the staging area by vehicle either.

Buses and vans will be directed to drive down North Park Drive and drop off (or pick up) athletes at the corner of Donahue Avenue, near the finish line. Signs will be posted. Buses will then continue on Donahue back to Route 70 and can turn onto Cuthbert Road back to the corner with North Park Drive. A left turn at the corner of Cuthbert and North Park will put you back onto the eastern part of Park Drive (behind the Hilton Hotel) that is recommended by the Park Staff for parking for vans, buses, and officials (referee vehicles). The lot past the mini golf is also available to park in - just be sure you are not in mini golf lot - you will be towed. 

Thursday, May 31, Friday, June 1, & Saturday June 2, 2007:

Camden County Parks will close North Park Drive from Cuthbert Road to Donahue Avenue to all traffic except authorized vehicles each morning beginning at 5:00 AM.  EACH college will be issued one pass for angled parking which will be on north Park Drive from the small bridge on the west side of the staging area to the  Finish Line (opposite Donahue Avenue - 200 yards east of Howard Johnson's).  Parking for additional participant vehicles will be available on a first come first serve basis in the lot adjacent to the temporary boat launch facility behind the Crowne Plaza.  Remember the Crowne Plaza lot is not open to the general public.

North Park Drive will remain closed until 30 minutes after the last race each day.  By that time all vehicles with special passes must be removed or parallel parked so that the Parks Department can re-open the roadway.  Vehicles in the restricted area that do not move or repark will be towed at the vehicle owner's expense..

VISITOR AND SPECTATOR PARKING: 

Thursday, May 31 through Saturday, June 2, 2007

Parking is allowed on the street above the finish line on North Park Drive. Between the finish line and Donahue Street (opposite finish line) it will be restricted to crew vehicles that have passes from the Parks Department. There will not be any parking - except for crew trailers - in the staging area. A small parking area near the softball field should be open, and the church at the corner of Donahue and North Park Drive usually has a parking program for their lots (see map). THERE WILL NOT BE ANY PARKING ON THE SOFTBALL FIELD USED AT PAST REGATTA'S, NOR WILL PARENTS OR ALUMNI BE ALLOWED TO BRING VEHICLES DOWN TO THE TENT AREA TO OFF LOAD.

The park recommends that visitors bring small carts to transport tents and food from North Park Drive to the spectator area. There will be drop off for tent materials above the finish line at curbside, but spectators will not be able to leave cars double parked.  The Parks Department may have a small truck available on an as needed basis to help transport materials to the water on Friday and Saturday.  Only vehicles with a park pass will be allowed to enter the parks land.  Please do not park on side streets, or in mini golf parking lot. Cars will be ticketed in those areas, have been towed in the past and may be towed this year (at vehicle owners' expense).