As many recreational boaters know all too well, until the election of our current County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett in the fall of 2014, The County of Orange had said that the harbor revitalization they'd been planning, and we'd been looking forward to since 1998, would cost some 140 million dollars for the landside reconstruction. Then perhaps another 100 million for the replacement of our docks. The final estimated total cost of approximately 240 million dollars was to be financed somehow from available land and waterside reserves, now amounting to only about 60 million dollars (being accumulated almost entirely from slip rents) after spending somewhere near 50 million dollars to date on planning and promotion.
This was "fuzzy math" of course (we're being kind here) as until recently this was an unspoken and frequently denied reason for almost 20 years of recurring delays and costly rework. However, the really good news is that those expensive, frustrating, often contentious days are now behind us. Our new County Supervisor Team is breaking thru the log jam and has completed these steps so far:
- Established proper cost estimates for the original scope of work. The old landside placeholder figure was revised up from 140 to a more believable 200 million dollars.
- Value engineered the landside project scope down to approximately 98 million dollars.
- Being realistic for a change, acknowledged that even 98 million dollars is still hopelessly beyond the possibility of funding from reserves alone, even if the waterside got no funding at all.
- Confirmed publicly what was well understood privately for many years: There is zero possibility of The County either funding or financing this project.
- Announced the pursuit of a private-public-partnership, or "P3", to fund, build and operate the harbor's landside facilities, with oversight by the Dana Point harbor department (OC DPH).
This was where we stood in November when County staff started drafting the P3 Request-For-Qualifications (RFQ) document. The target date announced then was mid-to-late March and we have advised recently that this date is still good.
In the months since November there has been discussion that the P3 scope should be expanded to include other areas beyond the Commercial Core, even including the entire waterside. So despite the expected two-year delay while scope and approach is being validated and a deal is run through the entire due diligence process, a P3 may also be beneficial for boaters as well as landside interests. Why? This could mean that reconstruction of our docks could actually happen in the foreseeable future. Of course a P3 developer / operator will propose their own vision of how both land and waterside facilities should be designed, built and operated. So there are many implications to carefully consider.
It follows that we have continued to be actively engaged, and one product of our efforts here is a detailed list of recommendations regarding the P3 evaluation process, developed by your DPBA leadership team in partnership with the Dana Point Harbor Merchants Association. We're sharing that document as well as the email we employed to notify 5th District County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett and her staff. (Click here and here)
In a recent meeting with the Supervisor's staff we have strongly urged The County to incorporate these specific recommendations within the pending RFQ, as well as subsequent project documents, preferably by direct, unedited enclosure.
By the way, it's still not too late for fellow boaters to provide more input. Our Boater Liaison Program is a convenient way to do this. (Click here)
For the Board of Directors,
Rodger Beard, President
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CALIFORNIA DBW DOCKWALKER PROGRAM
Want to help make our harbor and ocean cleaner, safer and healthier?
The California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW) and the California Coastal Commission's Boating Clean & Green Program has a volunteer program called DockWalkers that trains boater volunteers and others to engage members of the public and the boating community to adopt clean boating practices.
There is a 3-hour free training session right here in Dana Point Harbor upcoming on Saturday, April 2nd at the OC Sailing & Events Center (Pilot House). Click here to learn more.
Two of your DPBA directors attended this event last year and we highly recommend that fellow boaters make a point to participate. You'll be glad you did.
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OTHER HARBOR NEWS
Congratulations are in order to Brad Gross, Director OC Dana Point harbor, on his recent appointment as National Chair for the Association of Marine Industries. Click here for more information.
Earlier this week OC DPH sent out an update on the status of the current harbor maintenance dredging project. Click here to read. Perhaps you're wondering why the actual work hasn't started yet? We've recently learned that there was a 6 week delay
due to a "rookie mistake" by OC Public Works. This is another, separate County department that since last year has been responsible for managing all Dana Point Harbor construction projects. We also understand that the dredging may still be done in time for the upcoming peak boating season.
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GOOD BYE TO PAPER CHARTS
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Coast Guard has announced guidance that allows mariners to use electronic charts and publications instead of paper charts, maps and publications.
The Coast Guard published Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular, NVIC 01-16, on Feb. 5 to provide uniform guidance on what is now considered equivalent to chart and publication carriage requirements. Read the complete email notification by clicking here.
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SUPPORT YOUR DPBA
Remember, to keep Dana Point Boaters voice strong, we need your support.
As Revitalization decisions are now being made on the future of your harbor, do you want your comments and opinions heard? Do you want a voice in the room to represent YOU? If so, please help by making a donation to your Dana Point Boaters Association by clicking here!  . |
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Thank You
At the Dana Point Boaters Association, our mission is to advocate for the preservation, enhancement, and expansion of affordable recreational boating. We strive to improve the family-friendly atmosphere and breadth of water-oriented activities we all enjoy in our harbor. As Dana Point boater advocates, our strength comes from your support and participation. We are proud of the achievements we've made together on behalf of our boating community, and we won't give up. But we can't do it without you.
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Questions should be directed by email to (Officers). Or call us at (949) 485-5656 and leave a voice mail and we'll get back to you soon.
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The Dana Point Boaters Association advocates the preservation, enhancement, and expansion of affordable recreational boating resources. We work to improve the family friendly atmosphere and breadth of water-oriented actives we all enjoy in the harbor. We serve as the watchdog by ethically protecting the rights of all boaters and representing them when collective action is most effective. We actively gather information and communicate our views to educate boaters, external interests, and public officials. We build and maintain constructive, working relationships to achieve common goals with other harbor stakeholders. We will pass on our harbor to the next generation of recreational boaters in better condition than it is today.
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