Thar she blows: the high cost of marina work

Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm
Reporter – News Analyst
June 23, 2017 5:46 p.m.

 

A million here … a million there … Before you know it, we are talking real money.

Lynn Williams, Fernandina Beach waterfront activist and Florida Inland Navigation District (FIND) Commissioner, addressed the Fernandina Beach City Commission (FBCC) during their June 20, 2017 Regular Meeting with his take on projects (and costs) currently underway or anticipated at the city marina. Williams spoke during Public Comment on Items Not on the Agenda. As the heading on his slide indicated, the figures he presented are his, not presented in any official capacity:

The first project, resulting from effects of Hurricane Matthew, is the replacement of the attenuator dock estimated at $6-7M. He also quoted a cost for moving the marina northward at more than $2M. He quoted ATM estimates for realigning the existing marina basin at $763K. The final project is expansion of the existing mooring field: $250K.

He did not include future dredging costs in his figures or anticipated profits from the new, expanded attenuator and mooring field.

The total cost of all the projects Williams enumerated is approximately $11M, of which he claims $7.5M of which is reimbursable through FEMA and other grants. This leaves $3.7M for the city to fund. Williams said, “We will work to get grants, but it is something we don’t have funded at the moment. But certainly, if we do go through with these projects, we will have a marina that operates well with a good return on investment—better than normal. Boat traffic in Florida is way up. This is something that we really need to do, and if we were to borrow that non-reimbursable expense we would have $258K debt service and it would pay for itself.”

Commissioner John Miller asked how sure he was that the reimbursable money would be forthcoming. Williams replied that while the City Manager was closer to the subject of FEMA grants, he believed that the city is close to obtaining BIGP grants. As a FIND Commissioner he is involved in those grant decisions. Vice Mayor Len Kreger urged caution in assuming grants would be funded.

For those who may have wondered what BIGP stands for, Williams explained that it is an acronym for a federal grant program open only to facilities that handle boats over 26 feet in length: Boating Infrastructure Grant Program.

Editor’s Note: Suanne Z. Thamm is a native of Chautauqua County, NY, who moved to Fernandina Beach from Alexandria,VA, in 1994. As a long time city resident and city watcher, she provides interesting insight into the many issues that impact our city. We are grateful for Suanne’s many contributions to the Fernandina Observer.

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Robert Warner
Robert Warner (@guest_49125)
6 years ago

It’s about time folks understood the nature and magnitude of the problem. Hope they read and integrate the issues and costs in the article in the “Fernandina Observer”.

Bob Allison
Bob Allison (@guest_49139)
6 years ago

The plan for extending the marina to the north will create the most un-user friendly marina in Florida. What marina patrons want is convenience. How convenient is it to have to park three city blocks away from your boat? The ATM plan has 90% of the marina users accessing the marina from the single location of Brett’s restaurant. There will be no available parking any where this location. The plan I have provided the City has all permanent slip renters accessing the marina from the south end of the City’s property. This spreads the demand for parking over the entire project site. It is a better plan that also creates new land in the areas requiring routine and expensive dredging and uses this new land for parking to solve the downtown parking problem. By building a new breakwater west of the existing breakwater the old breakwater can be used for permanent dockage and the marina will be significantly expanded to the west. The plan for extending the marina to the north is a terrible idea that needs to be abandoned.