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Dana Point Boaters
Focus Group
Supplemental
information from Bruce Heyman
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This email is in compliance with the County of Orange's
requirement that communications about the Boaters Focus Group beyond the
membership is forbidden. Only members of the Boaters Focus Group
are receiving this email.
At the second Boaters Focus Group we were presented with an
extensive presentation that showed OC DPH's preferred plan was the one
that was the closest to accommodating all of the boats that were in the
Harbor as of this February. The key issue being presented was that
no overhang was going to be allowed once the Revitalization was completed
and that some number of boats needed to be right sized into their slips.
During this meeting I made a recommendation that we reach out to the
California Department of Boating and Waterways, DBW, and asked if we
couldn't work together to get special dispensation and grandfather these
particular boats into the harbor. This was rejected by OC DPH
because they have to work with new engineers who require the guidelines
to be strictly adhered to or we can't receive the loan monies.
Subsequent to that meeting I reached out to the DBW to try to understand
their view of the overhang issue. Unfortunately, after a long and
distinguished career with the DBW, my contact was just let go, along with
approximately 40 other part time employees, as a direct result of the new
state budget. However, we had a lengthy discussion on overhang and
while he is obviously not allowed to represent policy going forward he
was able to discuss the past and how this issue has been handled.
He said that he was not aware of any marina ever being denied funds due
to this issue. He also said that he has always managed this issue
by being quiet and leaving the ultimate decision to the Harbor Director
who is in the best position to decide if it is safe or not. I'm
sharing with you my personal conversations with this gentleman who has
been a huge contributor to our DBW and the design and safety of our
harbors as I want you to understand how it has been handled in the past.
I believe it behooves us to tread carefully to insure that it continues
to be managed in this constructive and intelligent way going forward.
By way of an indirect conversation with one of the DBW Commissioners I
believe they would be inclined to allow us to do whatever our Harbor
Director feels is safe concerning the overhang issue and would not
withhold the needed loans. I'd again like to make a recommendation
that our Boater Focus Group send a letter to the Commissioners and
leadership of the DBW requesting that we allow our Harbor Director to
make decision as to overhang without putting our loans at risk.
What is at stake? First, without overhang the majority of families
in our harbor will have to move up into the next higher slip category,
probably a significant financial issue for many of us. Second, this
issue was presented as the need to go with the OC DPH's preferred layout
number four as it resulted in a "reasonable" solution to the
"empty slips vs. no space for your boat" problem. I think
it would be wrong to design our harbor for the next 50 years for what
hopefully we all can work together to make a non-problem.
I,
like many of you, only want what is best for the harbor. I hope you
will agree with me that this involves a very complex set of tradeoffs
with no clear right or wrong answers. That said, I believe it is
vital that we use as many facts and non-emotional or political elements
in our discussions and analysis as possible; after all, we are talking
about spending $85,000,000 or more and it has to last for up to 50 years.
I've worked full
time for the last two years to try to increase the knowledge and
understanding of the issues facing boaters in Dana Point harbor while
increasing the involvement of boaters in the planning process, as well as
working with the proper authorities to improve on the plan.
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Contact
Information
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phone: (949)
289-8400
BruceHeyman@cox.net
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