HomeMy WebLinkAbout038Gary Minot
P.O. Box 7272
Tacoma, WA 98417
David Wayne Johnson
Jefferson County Development Department
621 Sheridan Street
Port Townsend, WA 98368
Mr. Johnson,
March 30, 2012
I am writing as a concerned boater who invested fifty thousand dollars to purchase a slip at Pleasant
Harbor nearly five years ago. My wife and I visited Pleasant Harbor in 2007 and liked what we saw.
Unfortunately what we see in the planning for our home port doesn't bode well for our investment and
after attending a meeting with other boaters, who have also invested their hard earned money in our
marina, I feel compelled to voice my concern.
It is my understanding that proposed changes to our marina include elimination of numerous parking
spaces that have been available to boaters in years past. Proposed parking, for the most part, will
require all boaters to park their vehicles at a remote location and utilize some form of shuttle during
regular business hours to access their vessels. After regular business hours I understand there will be a
charge for shuttle use and advance notice will be required to schedule this shuttle service.
When using the shuttle, boaters will be forced to unload their vehicle and place everything they brought
for their boating needs onto the shuttle. The shuttle would then transport the boaters and their
provisions to the head of the ramp where all provisions will need to be unloaded a second time and
loaded onto dock carts for transport from the ramp to their vessel. Needless to say, this major
inconvenience will discourage many boaters from utilizing their vessels in the future. This is particularly
true for those who may have health issues making this new procedure a major inconvenience at best
and impossible in some cases.
Beyond the inconvenience and added expense of using a shuttle, boaters have serious concerns about
the security of their vehicles when parked at the remote location. Is Pleasant Harbor Marina planning to
insure our vehicles against vandalism and theft when using the remote location? Is this expense then
passed on to the slip owners in the form of a maintenance and operating expense?
Elimination of parking spaces currently available will have such an adverse impact on boaters at Pleasant
Harbor that some, including my wife and I, will consider relocating their vessel to a more boater friendly
marina and perhaps even walk away from their investment. Could this be the ultimate goal of Garth? I
recall Garth saying in a meeting several years ago that the intention of the Statesman was to own every
slip at the Pleasant Harbor Marina. Is this his way of acquiring those slips while minimizing the cost to
the Statesman? After all, Statesman currently has first right of refusal on the sale of any slip sold at the
Pleasant Harbor Marina. What more do they want?
I'm afraid the proposed changes to parking at the Pleasant Harbor Marina will have a negative impact on
the value of our investment and prevent us from finding a buyer when, and if, my wife and I decide to
leave Pleasant Harbor or sell our vessel. No boater will consider investing in our slip if they are required
to park at some remote location and use a shuttle to access their vessel. Besides, even if we did succeed
in finding a willing buyer for our slip, Garth still has first right of refusal.
Mr. Johnson, I hope you will consider the needs of Pleasant Harbor Marine boaters when contemplating
the future of the Pleasant Harbor Marina. I'm afraid approval of the plan to eliminate available parking
will inevitably place the future of our marina in jeopardy and force slip owners to walk away from their
investment. Your consideration for those who have invested significant financial resources in their slips
would be appreciated. Please reject any plan to eliminate any parking spaces.
Respectfully,
Gary & Dana Minot
P.O. Box 7272
Tacoma, WA 98417
Cell: 253-278-6711
Fax: 253-752-7584
Email: minotmansion@comcast.net