Harbor Commission Meeting - 2025-01-21

Detailed briefing

HARBOR COMMISSION — JANUARY 21, 2025 ATTENDEES: Harbor commissioners, new members Eric and Gail, Sharon Mahalik attending remotely, city representatives, and Little Harbor Club dock applicant Zach Jones of Walstrom Docking. • The commission approved its October meeting minutes after identifying corrections. An absent commissioner had been recorded as voting “nay” and was to be listed as absent instead. Language describing boaters as “demanding” towing services was also to be changed to “needing” towing services. • Staff acknowledged an unanswered question from the prior meeting about seasonal mooring revenue. The transcript identifies the issue as a bookkeeping error, and staff committed to sorting it out and providing an explanation or document. No firm deadline was clearly established. • The commission reviewed the Little Harbor Club’s proposed dock expansion. Zach Jones said the existing dock barely reaches the drop-off, inviting boats into shallow, non-navigable water. He said the proposed configuration would better serve the 18- to 23-foot boats now commonly using the dock and provide room for additional temporary dockage. • Commissioners questioned whether the expanded dock could interfere with paddlers, swimmers or boat traffic; affect the shoreline; or conflict with the nearby Harbor Point Association dock. The applicant said the design follows the harbor’s curve, and the Harbor Point Association submitted a written letter supporting the project. • The proposed floating dock would not have electricity or utilities and is intended for short-term use rather than overnight docking. The design calls for three concrete anchors of approximately 10,000 pounds each, with crossed underwater chains, and would not use driven piles at the dock ends. • The commission approved the dock plan as presented, with six affirmative votes and one abstention. The abstaining commissioner disclosed a conflict related to Little Harbor Club membership. The commission is advisory, so additional city action is required. The Planning Commission is also expected to review landside matters. • Commissioners confirmed that regular 2025 meetings will continue on the second Wednesday of each month at 4 p.m. A vice-chair selection was added to the agenda, but the transcript does not record a selection. Worth watching: 1. Whether permitting allows the dock to be installed in spring or summer 2025 or pushes construction to 2026. 2. The city and Planning Commission’s remaining reviews of the dock proposal. 3. Staff’s promised explanation of the seasonal mooring revenue bookkeeping issue. Upcoming: Regular Harbor Commission meetings are scheduled for the second Wednesday of each month at 4 p.m.; no specific next date was stated. Why it matters: The dock decision affects safe harbor access, shoreline oversight and how growing recreational boat traffic is accommodated.

No open public follow-ups are linked to this meeting yet.