Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm
Reporter – News Analyst
August 17, 2017 – 9:45 a.m.
Mr. Rob Semmes of Applied Technology & Management, Inc. (ATM) provided the Fernandina Beach City Commission (FBCC) with a presentation regarding plans for the City Marina at the August 15, 2017 FBCC Regular Meeting. Semmes has been associated with the project in one way or another going back to the original ATM plan developed in 1996.
Semmes reviewed the status of plans for repair of existing facilities, the expansion of the mooring field, the move of the marina to the north and deeper water, and realignment of the south basin.
Status report
Docks 2 and 3 have been repaired from Hurricane Matthew damage. There are active bids to repair Dock 1 and the boardwalk. It is anticipated that work will start in October this year. The southern end of the attenuator will require complete replacement and is dependent on FEMA money. Docks 1-9 are still somewhat damaged, Semmes reported, but they are still usable for local boaters.
Costs, source of funds and phasing of improvements and repairs were addressed in general terms, frustrating some commissioners and audience members who had anticipated receiving more detail in the briefing.
Semmes affirmed that the city has submitted an application to move the existing federal deepwater navigation channel, but that problems have surfaced. The channel apparently only exists on paper and has not been used since the early 1980’s. The Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) must decide whether the channel should be de-authorized or moved following consultations with Rayonier Advanced Materials and the Ocean Highway and Port Authority (OHPA). Their decision then must be approved by the state.
Plans for the south basin involve removing the perpendicular docks and dredging the basin before reconfiguring a new dock parallel to the attenuator the eastern most dock, mainly original to the marina, would serve as a docking area for dinghies. As part of the reconfiguration, Semmes recommended that the city do as much dredging as it can afford. Semmes expressed his belief that traffic from the boatramp would keep the newly dredged basin from silting up.
While originally the city sought ACE permission to expand its mooring field to 100 mooring balls, following public comment that raised navigation concerns, that number has been reduced to 71. (Currently the city only has permission for 20.) Before that permit can be issued, an archaeological study of the area must be completed to reveal the existence of any significant artifacts. Semmes cited ACE staffing shortages which have slowed the process, but expressed his belief that all will be resolved soon. Two different styles of mooring balls are being tested.
The costs of all the planned activities related to marina improvement are significant. The city is planning on considerable financial assistance from grants and FEMA reimbursement for storm damage. However, City Manager Dale Martin stressed that in the case of FEMA money, the city must first spend the money as authorized before FEMA will reimburse.
The so-called BIGP – Boating Infrastructure Grant Program – has been submitted, but the city will not know until May 2018 if it will be approved for $1.5M. Docks built with this money must be dedicated and used for transient boaters only. As part of the BIGP grant, Semmes hopes to add additional shower facilities on a floating dock and rebuild the gangway, which currently declines at a very steep angle to the attenuator at low tide. These projects would not begin until 2018/19.
Timetable
In addressing the scheduling, Semmes said that the first elements are the fuel dock, the attenuator and the repairs to the boardwalk around Brett’s. He believed that this construction would occur between October-December 2017.
The next item is replacement of the southern portion of the attenuator ($4-5M), which is dependent on FEMA. When that is completed, the dredging of the southern basin and the interior dock realignment can begin. Estimated cost for removing the existing docks is $150K and $300K for dredging (half FIND money, half city money). The cost for installation of the reconfigured docks is $600K.
The first phase ($125K) of the mooring field expansion can begin at any time following the replacement of the attenuator.
Winter of 2018/19 was the earliest Semmes could anticipate the move of the marina toward the north.
Commissioners raise issues
Commissioner John Miller asked about the federal navigation channel and why it could not be de-authorized instead of being moved. Semmes said that he did not know the Port’s position on moving the channel, because they are not currently using it. Semmes said, “But in general, ports don’t like to give up channels, even if they are not using them. In 1998 Rayonier was amenable to moving it and giving up a small turning basin. It would be so expensive to get this channel moved, dredged and operational again … millions and millions of dollars. The Feds will not do that for one tenant. The channel exists on paper. It may never go away but it doesn’t make any sense.” Semmes opined that since this channel has not been used in so many years, it is a liability sitting on ACE’s books. It will be up to the local sponsor – the Port Authority – to make a recommendation.”
Vice Mayor Len Kreger asked about costs. With respect to the cost of the FEMA cost estimate of $4-6M. City Manager said that FEMA will pay 75 percent, with the remaining 25 percent split between the state of Florida and the city, meaning that the city is responsible for 12.5 percent, or roughly $500K. Capital improvement or grant funding would come into play for future years. Kreger suggested and Semmes agreed that if the BIGP grant for extending the docks northward does not materialize, that project would be placed on hold.
Questions also arose over timing for demolishing the building on the recently acquired Vuturo property. City Manager Martin reported that it will cost about $10,000 to tear down the ice house. Martin asked for direction from the FBCC on several options: tear down the building and leave the land vacant; tear down the building and redevelop the property through a lease or sale. The current demolition permit is good for five years, starting March 2017.
Vice Mayor Kreger called it the most blighted property on the waterfront. Semmes cautioned the city over premature demolition of the building, citing its unique position that would allow a replacement building to be built over the water. Semmes said that if the building is torn down and a new structure does not replace it by March 2022, the city in effect will have lost the right to rebuild over the water.
Kreger said that he has seen the estimates but is still not clear where all the money is coming from. Semmes said that he is also not clear. Kreger asked for more detail in plans moving forward, along with costs and source of funds.
Commissioner Tim Poynter supported the need for the additional showers and gangway because of the increase of mooring balls. He said that needs to be in the city’s Capital Improvement Budget. Poynter stressed that the talk about FEMA funding was a little misleading. “We are waiting for authorization from FEMA, but we are going to have to come up with that money and then be reimbursed,” he said.
“If FEMA has given us the okay, why aren’t we just moving forward to get some of this done?” Poynter asked. “We are certainly not going to get the work done before we receive their official letter.” Poynter said that the FEMA representative had promised him the letter three months ago. “We’re still waiting for that letter. So why can’t we just start moving on this?”
Kreger agreed with Poynter, saying that the bidding process takes time and there is no reason why the bids can’t go out on the street now.
Next step
City Manager Dale Martin said that the city will work with Semmes to begin to prepare a bid package so that the city will be ready to go when the final approval comes through. Martin agreed that the city can get that process done within two weeks. Commissioners agreed that this only applied to the south basin attenuator.
Miller asked on behalf of several citizens, “Why is the city in the marina business? Is there a market for private marinas or is it like golf courses that nobody wants?” City Attorney Tammi Bach responded that the problem is the debt service, which is tax exempt. “We cannot lease the marina. Our only option was to hire a management company. Selling it would mean that the city first has to discharge that debt.”