HomeMy WebLinkAbout043April 1, 2012
Mr. David Wayne Johnson
Jefferson County Development Department
The Pleasant Harbor Marina is proposing that they be allowed to close the road that provides
access to the docks at the Marina. They propose to replace that road that gives people access to
the docks and their boats with a shuttle service that would run during regular hours (whatever
that is) and be available the rest of the time by appointment for a fee.
It seems to me that this is an ill conceived plan. I would think the Marina would want to make
the docks and their facilities more convenient for their customers to use so as to encourage
their use. Any way you look at it, this places a hardship on the customer that is trying to use
their boat. I believe this will make customers not want to return.
As an American citizen I continue to be amazed at how hard we must argue for what is right and
already ours. When we purchased our slip, convenient parking, unlimited access for
loading/unloading, and convenience were inherent to the amenities provided by the marina as
part of our purchase agreement. These are all desirable amenities and are inviting to future
potential purchasers. There are times when the marina is a bustle and there needs to be
continued open opportunity for loading and unloading vehicles/boats. Under the proposed plan
there is no mention of capabilities to meet the deluge for fishers that will descend on the marina
during shrimp season, not to mention folks who will drive from Portland, OR after work on
Friday night. They cannot be expected to pay for transportation to their boat from the parking
lot. They have already paid for access to their boat when they purchased their slip. I equate this
new road close/parking lot plan to when a person purchases a condominium with guaranteed
parking. The homeowners association cannot arbitrarily decide to eliminate all the parking that
was agreed upon at the time of each sale and replace with a park just because they think it will
be a more "user friendly space" and then require the owners to park a block away in a
marginally secure gravel parking lot. This kind of thinking is indicative of cooperate land
development and actually has little to do with water recreation usage. As slip owners this is the
third time we have had to defend our position as a Pleasant Harbor Slip owner against new
owner/developers. This is a small marina and it is why we chose to purchase there.
I believe that as the Marina makes it harder and more inconvenient for the slip owners to use
their property the value of the slips will decrease. Given that the county serves to gain tax
revenue it is prudent that convenience access to our slips and services be continued so as to
continue to draw boaters and fishermen to the harbor.
If the marina is allowed to close the road to daily traffic, the complex owners should be required
to maintain the loading/unloading areas as they currently exist and provide free shuttle service
to their parking areas. If the complex owners want to press for a fee for after hours parking, the
current slip owners should be Exempt. I foresee an opportunity for a money grab by the marina
by adjusting hours that may not accommodate the slip owners.
We pray for your consideration to deny the request of closing the road that serves the docks.
Sincerely, Merna S. Pearson