,
Well, the 4th of
July holiday is upon us and we hope you are making plans to have some fun on the
water. We sure are! The Harbor will be jammed packed for sure, so
the customary "DP Boaters' Survival Guide"
rules apply: Get there really, really early and plan to stay really, really
late!
Sorry to be joking about what
we have to admit is an unfunny subject.
To be a little bit more helpful, we thought you would appreciate an
update on the Boater Focus Group (BFG), some really good news going into the holiday
weekend.
By way of introduction, you'll
recall there was a BFG meeting scheduled on June 23rd and beforehand
we made an ardent plea that boaters make a special point to attend and
participate in the shaping of the "revitalized" Dana Point Harbor slip layout. Well, we're pleased to report that many more
boaters did turn out this time and the results we achieved were entirely favorable.
A take-home point here: As more boaters turn out and participate in
the planning process, the water side plan will better reflect boaters'
interests and needs!
Here are the highlights of
the June 23rd meeting:
1. OC DPH presented
six (6) new slip re-mix alternative designs, known as 3I thru 3N, with six different
re-mix percent reductions in the number of slips under 30'. These reductions ranged from 70% to 30%. The proposed LCPA calls out an 80% reduction so
this is real progress.
As boaters, the design we
liked best was 3N, which has a 30% reduction in slips under 30' and a net
reduction of 254 slips net of re-mix (the proposed LCP calls out a loss 477,
again real progress). Alternative 3N
calls for a loss of 422 slips under 30' (the proposed LCP calls out a loss of
1140) and increases in the other slip
categories up to 49'.
These re-mix alternatives
are still not all of what boaters need, but they are a very positive step in
the right direction!
Note
that we have posted all six alternatives on our website from OC DPH. To view please
Click here (this is a very large file please be patient).
2. The DPBA
sponsored request for boater input on slip mix, announced by OC DPH only the
day before, resulted in 53 responses. It
was obviously too soon to tabulate and interpret results for the meeting, and so
there's still time to provide your input.
To download the instructions and spreadsheet please
(Click Here). Then plan to return the spreadsheet with your input
by email no later than July 15th.
3. What's
next? During the meeting DPBA committed
to compile the results and report back to the Boater Focus Group at the next
meeting (July 22nd). We're
planning to report back here as well.
4. DPBA and OC DPH committed
to jointly meet off line, prior to the next Boater Focus Group meeting, to
analyze boater input and develop recommendations for discussion at that meeting.
As you can see, we're now making good progress. But make no mistake, we're
not done yet. In case you're wondering, DPBA's
approach to the matter of reflecting boater input in the recommendations we
make for the next BFG meeting will continue to be pretty much as it has been all along:
1. MAKE REQUIRED
CHANGES - Bring the harbor slip layout up to conformance with the current Americans with
Disabilities Act law and Department of Boating and Waterways guidelines. The loss of slips here is really not negotiable
of course. But the layout will continue
to keep our harbor's small boat character intact and support maximum public
access to the water.
2. ELIMINATE
VACANCIES - In addition to #1, convert smaller surplus slips into larger slips
per historical and projected figures.
Currently there are 90 empty slips in the under 30' categories
and this number has been stable for several months during extremely adverse
economic conditions. We think that the loss of slips under 30' due to vacancies should therefore be 90.
3. RE-MIX SMALL AND
MEDIUM SLIPS - In addition to #1 and #2, perhaps increase the loss of slips
under 30' a little bit further, to accommodate more boats in the 30 to 45' slip
range. Thereby reducing the
wait list time for boaters in the mid size slip categories. Obviously, this part is where your boater input is critical!
So when is the next Boater
Focus Group meeting?
The next BFG meeting is July 22nd. As usual it will be in the building at the rear of the Sailing and Events Center, beside Baby Beach. The meeting will start promptly at 6:00 PM so don't be late.
YES, YOU NEED TO MAKE PLANS
NOW TO ATTEND!
If
you haven't provided your re-mix input yet you need to do that as well. To
download the spreadsheet and instructions please
(Click Here). Then fill it out and
return it by email no later than July 15th. (Sooner would help us help you.)
Well that's all for now folks. Have a happy and safe 4th
of July holiday weekend!
Your Board of
Directors
