News Archive
Archived news items sorted by date:
10/26/2007, Update by Mark Sanders
03/13/2007, San Mateo County News
Westpoint Marina dreams come to fruition after 19-year journey
03/2007, Latitude38
12/19/2006, Update by Mark Sanders
2006 YEAR-END UPDATE
The illustrated version of the 2006 year update can be found here.
Seasons Greetings to the followers and supporters of the Westpoint Marina and Boatyard project! Last month we passed an important milestone.
The Westpoint Marina basin excavation continued into its third year in 2006, and finished just weeks before the first rains arrived in November. Of course the time-consuming part was not digging but drying and compaction of the excavated mud to create the uplands part of the marina. The finished basin is 26 acres of new Bay surface, 25 feet deep from the rim to the bottom, and is thought to be the largest hole ever dug in San Mateo County! We had time to install a new double-wide launch ramp for trailerable boats too.
On November 8 the levee was breached, opening our marina to the Bay. This event had to go right—if it didn't we would have had a real calamity—and the trick was to control the inrush of water. This could be violent, but the bigger the breach the less destructive the inrush. Timing was critical as we waited until a neap tide was expected, with excavators ready to furiously dig out the breach just after high tide. We had to throw mud fast to make the inlet as large as possible when the tide began to rise (visitors can see the large stockpiles of mud on the site). It was both exciting and frightening: We really didn't know what to expect, but many have seen what levee breaks in the Delta can do.
The actually flood commenced November 9 at 2 AM, and gradually built to what looked like Niagara Falls (every inch of tide represents 700,000 gallons of water, for a total of 160 million gallons by the next high tide).
A few days later The Dutra Company began dredging a channel to the marina, which took a week to complete. I thought I would be the first boat into the marina, but was upstaged by a harbor seal and the Kent Mitchell Rowing Club in a "eight" manned by several Olympic medallists.
Seaport Boulevard continues through the Pacific Shores Center and the main and secondary entrances from this road to the marina are now complete. Utilities have also been brought to the edge of the site.
Next Steps
We are beginning to accumulate more rip rap to protect the inside basin, and installation of the first docks and piles will start in January. The first dock will be 964 feet of transient berthing for visiting boaters, followed by about 150 regular slips ranging from 40 to 60 feet. The average slip length at Westpoint Marina will be 48 feet.
There are still some hurdles before we connect water and power to the docks, and parking and vehicle access cannot be put in place until the weather relents. Nonetheless, the day that boats can berth in Westpoint Harbor is drawing near.
We receive many inquiries about when boaters on the wait-list can expect to join the marina. Until we actually begin calling people who have signed up, we won't know, but the wait-list has been carefully maintained in chronological order by brother John. We will not initially offer liveaboard berths; the infrastructure must be in place before liveaboards can be properly served.
Separately I have forwarded some pictures showing the marina basin nearing completion, after flooding, and during the dredging process. If you have good internet bandwidth, have a look.
Thanks to all for your encouragement and patience through the many delays and setbacks the marina project has had to live through, and best wishes for a healthy and happy new year,
mark sanders
12/31/2005, Update by Mark Sanders
2005 YEAR-END UPDATE
Greetings to followers and supporters of the Westpoint Marina project, and apologies for the long delay between updates. One of MY New Year's resolutions is to document progress here more regularly!
Excavation
Site preparation at Westpoint Marina restarted last May. This was several months later than hoped for after the longest, wettest winter in a century for Northern California. You may recall from prior updates that the site is "wicked" to accelerate dewatering of the bay mud. The big construction chore is to dig 26 acres of mud 12 feet below mean sea level to create the marina basin, and use that mud to create 24 acres of uplands 12 feet above sea level. The pace is set by the speed at which we can excavate, dry and compact the mud. It's a tedious process, at the mercy of wind and sun. Throughout summer we raced against time, often working 12 hour days and weekends. Nonetheless there is more to go and the excavation contractor reports that the basin is 70% complete. Those of you who have seen it will agree it is an impressive sight!
Utilities
We are now building the primary and secondary entrances to the marina and bringing utilities onto the site. Seaport Boulevard courses through the Pacific Shores Center and goes right into the marina, and cutting the street, curbs and sidewalks, laying in pipes and connecting utilities is underway. This will bring gas, water, power, and telecommunications onto the site.
Docks
We are finalizing the dock selection for the marina. The choices we are considering include traditional concrete docks as used at the Redwood City municipal marina and a metal truss system which has wood decking on the top and sides. This decking is IPE wood, a tropical hardwood similar to teak but much tougher. If you have a chance to check it out, a sample dock has been placed on the site next to the Pacific Shores Center—I would appreciate your opinions. The wood/truss and concrete systems are similar in cost and are equally strong, and concrete has a bit less maintenance but many think the wood looks better.
Slip configuration
Most bay-area marinas are older and have smaller slips (26 feet used to be a large boat!). Westpoint Marina will have a high percentage of larger slips, reflecting today's demand for bigger accommodations, and the majority of boats on WPM's wait list are over 40 feet. We plan to have 140 forty-foot berths, 120 fifty-foot berths, and 70 sixty-foot berths, all of which are single-loaded (fingers on both sides). There are also smaller slips which will be double-loaded, some side-ties of 80 to 120 feet, and more side-ties for very small boats and dinghies. Finally, we will offer guest berths for several dozen boats and temporary tie-ups at the fuel dock and boatyard lifts. We are allowed a limited number of liveaboards which will be distributed throughout the marina, four or five per dock.
Though we had hoped to complete excavation of the basin at Westpoint Marina this year, it was not to be. However we did make considerable progress in several areas and will press on in 2006. Weather has stopped excavation work for the winter and we await an early spring.
Thank you once again for your perseverance, interest and support. Best wishes for a healthy and happy year ahead!
mark sanders
2/25/2005, Update by Mark Sanders
2004-2005 Winter Update
Progress
In the Summer Update we reported that excavation of the 26-acre marina basin had started. Alas, winter came early this year and the winter rains essentially stopped work in early November. We did get about ten of the twenty-six acres excavated and the Bay mud has been dried and placed. Since November we have been able to get a few more weeks of work in, and we will start up again just as soon as we see dry weather—which will probably be in a few weeks.
For those of you who visit the marina site, you will see the uplands part of the marina is already well above the elevation of the levees that surround it. This "surcharge" material continues to put pressure on the underlying Bay mud, forcing water out through the wick field which was described in earlier updates. So far the marina site has settled about two feet, and it will ultimately settle almost five feet. This settlement represents water that is forced out to stabilize the soil.
Excavation, conditioning and placement will continue through the summer, and we will dredge the entrance and open the basin to the Bay when it is completed. When done we will have excavated nearly 600,000 cubic yards of Bay mud! In the meantime, we are working with architects to finalize the design of the Harbormaster's Building, and the restroom and shower areas, and the boatyard facilities.
The Waitlist
Many of you have asked where you are on the slip wait list. I am happy to report that John Sanders continues to maintain the list, in particular keeping track of your application date. As it has been some time since Westpoint Marina began accepting applicants, we ask that if you have changed boat or address, no longer desire a slip, or just want to reconfirm that you want to remain on the waitlist, please reply to this email address.
Berthing Fees
Another common question is berthing fees. We have not yet set fees, but plan to be competitive with other marinas in the South Bay. The most recent survey of the entire Bay Area shows the average slip fee is about $7.00/foot, with the lowest being about $5.00 in Pittsburgh and Richmond, and the highest being over $14 in more desirable locations. As you know, larger slips and liveaboards fetch a bit more. Casting our net wider, you may be surprised to learn that slips in Eureka command are only $2.90/foot, and Balboa Bay at the other end of the State is at $35.00/foot!
That's all for now,
With thanks for your support,
mark
08/09/2004, Update by Mark Sanders
To all Westpoint Marina supporters:
In our last update we announced that we are finally under construction, and the project has accepted about 8,000 truckloads of dirt from a Redwood City redevelopment project to speed things along. Today I can report that site preparation is complete and we started excavating the marina basin in July.
The excavating is being done by Top Grade Construction using special "long reach" excavators to dig out the 26-acre basin. The material is placed into trucks which move it on the uplands part of the site. Here several bulldozers turn and disk the material (wet mud) to condition and dry it. It is then compacted and the cycle is repeated. With luck we will excavate the entire basin before the winter rains start in mid-November. If we are not done rains will wash us out and we will have to wait for spring to finish the job.
After the excavation is complete it's pretty easy to riprap the basin, excavate the entrance, and install roads and utilities. At the same time pilings and docks can be placed. So progress is rapid and there is no undoing a 26 acre basin, so we can safely say the question is no longer if the marina will be built, but when!
Thanks again for your continuing support,
Mark Sanders
04/18/2004, Update by Mark Sanders
To all Westpoint Marina supporters:
In my November report we announced that we are finally in construction, and accepting about 8,000 truckloads of dirt from a Redwood City redevelopment project to speed things along. At this point, about 75% of the site preparation is complete, and we hope to start the marina basin excavation in a month or so.
You may recall that the site was originally a "bittern" pond used by Leslie Salt. The bittern was removed some years ago, leaving a 50 acre site two feet above sea level which is bay mud forty feet deep, with a hard but thin surface. Our plan is to excavate a 26-acre basin for the marina, but first the mud must be stabilized to avoid "mud waves"—the sides of the excavation could literally cave in as fast as we dig.
As explained last time, we must install vertical wicks (a bit like fabric straws), more than 30,000 of them forty feet long and spaced every six feet. On top of this are two horizontal fabric layers covering much of the site, with six inches of drain rock in between the fabric layers. Imaging a 21 acre Oreo cookie and you get the idea! On top of this we are placing the dirt from Redwood City (called a "surcharge") which puts enormous pressure on the bay mud. The only place the water in the mud can travel is up the wicks, where it finally comes to the rock sandwich and can move sideways and be pumped out. This wicking process will allow us to dewater the site in about six months, instead of 30 years, because the trapped water need travel only three feet to hit a wick.
So here's the status:
This month the fabric and rock layers will have been placed, with four feet of Redwood City dirt on top. In another four weeks we will have installed all of the wicks. Meantime we are pumping daily at a rate of 40,000 gallons per hour! Even at this rate it will take many months to remove the water, and the entire site will subside almost five feet in the process.
The next step is to begin to excavate the basin, starting in the center and moving out. More than a half-million cubic yards of mud will be excavated to make the basin, and it will be dried and spread over the rest of the site, adding to the surcharge. It's paced by how fast we can dry the mud, which we must spread and disk after it is excavated. In the summertime heat we can condition about 10 inches every two weeks, so it should take about six months.
After this we install riprap to protect against wave action, let the water in, and start building docks, roads and landscaping. We are moving quite fast now, and with luck we could still have boats in the water by year end.
FAQ's:
There are some questions that keep popping up, so I will address a few now.
- Houseboats (ones that can get underway) are permitted by Redwood City , but floating homes are not allowed.
- The wait list is being faithfully maintained by John Sanders. Being on the list is not an automatic berth, but if insurance, condition and credit are OK, its first on the list—first in.
- We are allowed only 10% live aboard slips. This is the longest wait list. The "wet slips" will be mostly 40, 50 and 60 footers, with some 30 and 35 footers.
- Dry storage is planned with in/out service for 300 more boats under 30 feet.
- We will have 100 covered berths.
Those of you who visit the site can see construction progress from the Northeast corner of the Pacific Shores Center at the end of Seaport Boulevard. Please feel free to come out and visit!
Best regards,
mark
03/28/2004, San Jose Mercury News
From Muddy Flats To Luxury Harbor
02/6/2004, San Mateo Times
Marina Developer Hopes to Open By End of Year
11/16/2003, Update by Mark Sanders
Hello Westpoint Marina supporters!
It's hard to believe, but we are actually doing construction work at the Westpoint Marina site! If you go by, you will see many trucks hauling dirt and rock to the site as well as dozers, graders and excavators working the site. You will also see a 1600 foot road which has been constructed from Seaport Boulevard for truck traffic to avoid driving through Pacific Shores Center.
Since our last report we worked through the local permits (with a lot of help from Redwood City), and we also had a bit of good luck because of a theatre complex (on Whipple Boulevard in Redwood City) that is moving to downtown Redwood City as part of a redevelopment project. Old buildings are being demolished and 90,000 cubic yards of dirt are to be excavated to make room for an underground parking garage. That's more than 8,000 truckloads which normally would be hauled to the East Bay. It's very costly when one considers the trucking expense, bridge tolls and a charge per truckload to dump dirt at a disposal site (the "tipping fee"). Fortunately, Westpoint Marina is only a short distance away, and we can use the clean dirt (and the tipping fees!) on the project. Redwood City, OC Jones (the contractor) and Westpoint Marina all are sharing in the cost savings.
So exactly what are we doing right now? You may recall that we must "dewater" the marina site. That means removing excess water in the 40-ft. thick layer of bay mud. Visit the site and you will see workers installing a field of black fabric, covered by a six-inch layer of drain rock, followed by another layer of fabric. This "sandwich" will be installed around the entire area which is to become the marina basin, and looks like a 200 foot wide and mile long racetrack. Through this sandwich, we will plunge "wicks" vertically into the earth (the wicks look like 40-foot diapers) every six feet-more than 30,000 in all. On top of this sandwich we will pile the dirt from the redevelopment project, as well as dirt which will come from the basin excavation. Over the next six months an enormous amount of water is removed from the "racetrack" area, stabilizing it so that the basin can be safely excavated. After the excavation, water is let in from the Bay, and we have our marina basin.
How does it work you ask? The imported dirt (ultimately 14 feet high) puts a lot of pressure on the Bay mud. This pressure forces the water trapped in the mud to rise up through the wicks, finally coming to the drain rock layer. From here it moves sideways through the rock and is pumped away. As the water is removed, the ground subsides, eventually settling four feet. At the end of the day, we will have a 26 acre basin and 24 upland acres.
After this comes riprap on the walls of the basin and the public entrances to the marina. Finally the end stage with roads, docks, restrooms and services.
So that's it for now-please drive by and have a look!
Best regards and Happy Thanksgiving,
Mark
08/28/2003, Update by Mark Sanders
A MILESTONE!
As reported in the last update, the Westpoint Marina and Boatyard project was presented to the full BCDC Commission on July 17th. Those of you who have followed our project know that we have worked with BCDC staff for a long time to reach the point where we were allowed to present to the Commission. It was a "make or break" point for the project.
Answering the call to arms were more than 90 marina supporters who personally attended the commission hearing held at the Port of Oakland—not easy in the middle of a workday. On top of that, an amazing number of letters which were sent, some from as far away as Moscow, Russia and Sydney, Australia, and every one voicing support. A BCDC Commissioner said that he had never seen such effective and enthusiastic support for any project, and I was asked to limit the number of speakers in order to get through the meeting in less than three hours. Representatives from California Recreational Boaters Association, Friends of Redwood City, the Sea Scouts, Sequoia, Sausalito and South Bay Yacht Clubs, many individual boaters, and dozens of rowers, paddlers and kayakers, organized by the KM Rowing Organization, Bair Island Aquatic Center, and Stanford University attended. There was even an Olympic Gold Medal winner who spoke in support of the project. The impression was terrific, and it had a telling effect on the Commission.
Three weeks later the Commission voted on the project at the Port of San Francisco. Despite the complication of 11th-hour policy changes by BCDC staff and a host of new conditions, the commissioners voted unanimously to approve the project. The Commission was very enthusiastic about Westpoint Marina, which was gratifying after such a long haul.
I received the hard copy of our BCDC permit this week, which is the most critical permit of all. The reason of course is that no salt pond in San Francisco Bay has ever been developed, and so this development is unprecedented and forced decisions on many policy issues with the agency. The fact that this former bittern pond offered almost no wildlife value (and is not a true salt pond) helped, as did the fact that the project is essentially all for public use and access to the Bay. And finally, and it adds 26 acres of water to the South Bay.
So what's next? Next on the agenda is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which also has jurisdiction on our site, and is last in line for the permitting process. Our Corps application has been in for a long time, and they have closely followed the project, awaiting a completed BCDC permit. The Corps held an "All Agency Meeting" on Westpoint Marina as far back as 1993, and we have enjoyed an excellent rapport with the agency. Our contact at the Corps is Phelicia Gomes, and thanks to her the process has been both efficient and helpful. I do not anticipate difficulties, and trust we will see our Corps Permit in a few weeks.
With all agency permits in hand, it's back to Redwood City for the specific permits for construction of access roads, excavation, grading, et cetera. With a little luck we can actually start work in October before the rains start. The design of the project has changed quite a bit, and our Webmaster Alfredo Piazza will post the newest drawings shortly on the website.
My heartfelt thanks to each of you who wrote a letter or took the time to appear at the BCDC hearings—it made the difference. It's my hope that you will share a sense of accomplishment when the project is completed in the next several years, and realize that you took part in making it happen!
Sincerely,
Mark Sanders
08/08/2003, San Mateo Times
Commission gives Marina the High Sign
07/27/2003, San Mateo Times
Westpoint Marina on verge of reality
07/09/2003, Update by Mark Sanders
To all Westpoint Marina supporters:
THIS IS IT!
We have reached a moment of truth in our drive towards creation of a full-service marina and boatyard facility in the South San Francisco Bay. Many of you have followed our progress for more than a decade. Through this period we have received approvals one-by-one, making changes and improvements along the way. Westpoint Marina is now a 50-acre marina and boatyard, including covered berths, dry storage and a host of other much needed services. We have received the blessing of every agency save one—BCDC (Bay Conservation and Development Commission).
As I reported in the May update, the Design Review Board (a part of BCDC) has approved the project as being an excellent design with good public access. With that, BCDC accepted our application as "complete" and the project will be formally presented to the full Commission in one week. The good news is that once accepted, an application must be accepted or rejected within three months. The bad news is that the Commission must be convinced that the South Bay has a need for these boating facilities, and that this is a higher environmental use than a bittern pond.
The BCDC Commission is composed of 27 representatives from counties and agencies all over the Bay area, and they will consider this project at a public hearing which will be held on July 17, 2003, starting at 1 PM at the MetroCenter Auditorium, 101 Eighth Street in Oakland. Public comment is invited and, as in all political forums, when people show up it makes a very big difference.
I cannot emphasize how critical this meeting is. Within BCDC there is a belief that little boating interest exists in the South Bay—and we are content to go to the North Bay or Alameda estuary to enjoy the Bay. I ask that those of you who believe that the South Bay also deserves an active boating, sailing, fishing and rowing environment to lend a hand and express your support.
If you cannot make the meeting, send a letter voicing your support to Will Travis and Andrea Gaut at BCDC:
- Will Travis, Executive Director
- BCDC
- 50 California Street, Suite 2600
- San Francisco, CA 94111
- travis@bcdc.ca.gov
- adreag@bcdc.ca.gov
I apologize if I sound like a PBS station asking for pledges—but this hearing is the most important milestone so far for Westpoint Marina.
Thanks in advance for your help!
Mark Sanders
05/19/2003, Update by Mark Sanders
Flash: The Regional Water Quality Control Board has issued their certification letter last week, so that is one more hurdle behind us.
Regards, mark
05/15/2003, Update by Mark Sanders
To all Westpoint Marina supporters:
It has been an eventful three months since our last update, and I am encouraged as we near the finish line on our permits.
You may recall we were awaiting a letter from the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife commenting on our mitigation measures to protect endangered species on nearby Greco Island. I am happy to report that the letter was received in March and the Service is content with the steps we are taking. My thanks to Dave Wooten at the Service for going out of his way to help.
Activities with BCDC (Bay Conservation and Development Commission) continue, and two signal events have occurred. The first event relates to the issue of open water at the site, which has been difficult, and I believe we have developed a solution. A good full-service marina design requires substantial amounts of land area for public access, boatyard, storage, parking, and a host of other marina-related items. Most marinas fall short in this area because they maximize the number of berths to increase income. One part of BCDC concerned with public access and good design would like to increase the landside part of the project, however another part of the agency seeks to maximize open water in the Bay. As you know BCDC considers docks and live aboard slips to be "fill", so it doesn't count towards open water. To resolve this issue Cargill (Leslie) Salt has agreed to sell additional land to Westpoint Marina which will be committed to open water. It's an expensive step, but the extra area goes into the marina basin and allows us to retain all the elements that makes the project so attractive, and BCDC seem pleased with this step. The latest design layout can be seen on the website.
This notion of buying additional land for water was the idea of Alan Pendleton, who has been helping us move the project forward. Alan was formerly the Director of BCDC and has been a real boost for the project.
Westpoint Marina was presented to the DRB May 5th, and I had been forewarned that larger projects are difficult and it would take a number of meetings before we might satisfy the DRB. I am very happy to tell you that the presentation went extremely well. One board member said the project was "near perfect", and the entire DRB thought Westpoint Marina was well- conceived and a much needed asset in the South Bay. There were only small suggestions for improvement, and all-in-all I was very pleased with the results.
The DRB presentation was successful in large measure because of the efforts of Ralph Nobles (Planning Commission), Kent Mitchell (Attorney and Stanford Alumni Rower), Bob Hoffman (Past president of Recreational Boaters of California), and Bob Wilson (sailor and power boater). Each of these supporters made persuasive arguments for Westpoint Marina at the DRB meeting in San Francisco. (By the way, Bob Hoffman has been instrumental in getting the numerous sunken boats out of Westpoint Slough so we won't face those hazards to navigation). Much of the DRB presentation was carried by Tim Hurley, a landscape architect with the firm of BMS who is working on the project with us. He did a great job in presenting the public access and design philosophy of the project, which is also on the website.
Those of you who visit the marina site will see that we are pumping frequently to keep the area dry through the winter. Last fall we constructed a temporary levee to separate the site from Cargill Salt, and by keeping it dry we will have a running start at the basin excavation when we are fully permitted.
BCDC will be the last major hurdle in what is now a fifteen-year struggle to launch Westpoint Marina. If all goes well with BCDC we will have a completed package for the Corps of Engineers this summer, start construction in the fall, and with good luck will be inviting boats in next year!
I expect that in the next month or two we will formally present to all 27 BCDC Commissioners in San Francisco and a strong showing of support now will make a huge difference. Many of you have written to Redwood City in the past. I ask that those of you who believe this is an important project to again please write to BCDC and let them know what you think. Here is the address:
- Will Travis, Executive Director
- BCDC
- 50 California Street, Suite 2600
- San Francisco, CA 94111
- travis@bcdc.ca.gov
- Andreag@bcdc.ca.gov
- msandhill@aol.com
Be sure to copy Andrea Gaut (the Program Analyst at BCDC) and me. Finally, thanks for your continued support, we are getting close!
Best regards,
mark
12/15/2002, Update by Mark Sanders
To all Westpoint Marina supporters:
It's time for another update, and I am pleased to report that we have made considerable progress, and there has actually been some activity at the site.
You recall from our September 15 News Update that the US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS completed their Public Notice Process, and we prepared responses to all the letters that were required. Fortunately the vast majority were supportive, thanks to you. Since that time I have corresponded with the CALIFORNIA STATE LANDS COMMISSION ( I need their permission to do anything on State lands, including the area in Westpoint Slough just outside the enterance to the marina)—and they reported last week that they are satisfied. Also, a good deal of analysis planning was required for the REGIONAL WATER QUALITY BOARD (they worry about water quality, specifically runoff from streets, parking lots and boatyards, toxic materials, and the like). They too, have indicated that they are satisfied with our work.
So at this point, we lack only a letter from the US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE (they worry about endangered species), and a permit from BCDC (BAY CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION) before the ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS can issue a permit. In the case of BCDC we have a bit of a dilema: A central part of their legal charter is to promote public access to the Bay, and to support public water-oriented activities such as Westoint Marina as much as possible. However, they also have internal policies that argue that former salt ponds which are developed must be half water and half land. Yes, Westpoint Marina has an 18 acre marina basin, and 17 acres of uplands...but it's not as easy as that—BCDC consideres boats and docks as "fill"! So I am working with BCDC to work out a way to increase the amount of water, and still have a workable marina.
Last month we completed the Geotechnical Analysis (two inches thick), and an analysis of the sedimentation expected in the marina basin. It projects that no maintenance dredging will be required for 30 years or more.
If you visit the site, you will see progress. Work is underway to seperate Westpoint Marina from Cargill Salt properties. This will allow Cargill to conduct operations without concern about the marina, and we can continue to dry the site.
That's all for now, with luck we may still get the last permits before the new year.
Best regards,
mark
9/15/2002, Update by Mark Sanders
Its time for another update!
For those of you who closely follow the progress of Westpoint Marina, in the last update I noted that the US Army Corps of Engineers posted their "Public Notice", which is a regular part of their process for a permit. The Corps claims jurisdiction for almost the entire site, and because there is dredging (in our case excavation) involved, they must give it an "OK". The Public Notice period lasted thirty days and virtually every agency and the public was invited to respond.
I am informed that Westpoint Marina received over fifty letters—virtually all favorable—with only three requiring formal responses from the Corps. My thanks to all of you who took the time to send a letter to the Corps and BCDC, it really does make a difference! Two of the letters requiring a response were from individuals mostly concerned with disposal of the bittern, and the third was from the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Detailed answers were provided for each and every question, and I believe the Corps is satisfied to this point.
We are fortunate that Phelicia Gomes (whom you wrote to) is assigned to the project. She is excellent, and has been more than helpful to me in moving Westpoint Marina forward. Phelicia and I also gave a presentation to the Fish and Wildlife folks in Sacramento, during an "informal consult" last month, to clarify some of their concerns regarding endangered species on neighboring Greco Island. Clyde Smith, who is the Fish and Wildlife refuge manager for the South Bay has been involved too, and very helpful.
The Corps cannot complete our permit until BCDC (Bay Conservation and Development Corps) and the Regional Water Quality Control Board give their assent. Our applications are into both of these organizations, and we have met with both too. (Many of you also wrote to Andrea Gaut, the person at BCDC assigned to the project). I expect comments back from both organizations shortly.
Lastly, The Port Commission for the Port of Redwood City asked that we present the project in preparation for their permit process. Happily, the Commissioners unanimously approved the Westpoint Marina, and we have the Port permit in hand.
An interesting side note. There has been a lot of interest in ferry service to the South Bay, and Westpoint Marina would be an ideal site, as suggested by several people. We will see what happens here, but I like the idea.
Those of you who may visit the site will see that it is dry (at least on the surface) and the bittern is gone. Next step is to dry the site using wicks as I described in the previous update. It is a race against the winter on this...if we do not get the last three permits in time, we lose a season. Meantime, I am working with construction outfits to determine the best way to excavate the basin.
That's all for now, and once again, my thanks for your support letters to the Corps and BCDC: We are in the last phase of the permit process, and I sincerely hope we will be done before the year is up.
Best regards,
mark
5/21/2002, Update by Mark Sanders
First, the permitting process:
You may recall that in our last update I reported that we filed the final application to the US Army Corps of Engineers for the Westpoint Marina and Boatyard. The Corps has jurisdiction over this site, and as part of the process must publish a "Public Notice" describing the project in detail to other agencies and interested parties. This notice went out last week, and there is a thirty-day period to respond...more on this later.
We also have made application to the Regional Water Quality Control Board, and BCDC (Bay Conservation and Development Commission). The BCDC package was over two inches thick! BCDC, RWQCB and the Corps all interact, though each has a different mission. Once these are completed successfully, the actual commencement of the project can occur.
The project itself:
The bittern removal has continued, and I believe it is now at a level at which it is satisfactory to proceed. Certainly the birds that frequent the site seem to like it better! Speaking of birds, we are moving forward in cooperation with the Department of Fish and Wildlife to install signs strategically around Greco Island, which is to the north. It is environmentally sensitive, and we want to make sure that boaters will be just as sensitive, through signs that educate to protect the island.
Much of the geotechnical analysis is done, and the related engineering considerations are in process. As many of you know, Bay mud (which underlies the site) is a little more complicated than moving dirt in the hills. It must be dried to a certain level, or it will mush around and cause real problems, not to mention swallowing heavy equipment whole. Left alone, the engineers tell me that it could take thirty years to dry to the correct level by "desiccation"! However, by installing specially engineered "wicks", the site can be "dewatered" in a matter of a few months. How fast depends on how many wicks, and is then a matter of cost. Once permitted, we can install the wicks, and rock the levees while it is drying. Months later we will start the actual excavation and grading of the site. After the site is prepared, we will let water in until it's at sea level, then make the opening to the Bay. Weather of course will be big a factor.
Next steps:
As I mentioned the Public Notice has been published by the Army Corps of Engineers. You can download it from the web, and also see the maps by going to their site for Public Notices. Please download the notice and read it carefully—this is a major hurdle for the project. Hopefully we will not see negative responses from agencies or interested groups, but it is very important that supporters of the Marina send it their positive comments too. The Corps will put a good deal of weight on your thoughtful comments. We had a great response from you for the Public Hearings for the Redwood City Planning Commission, and I hope you will do it again for the Corps. Please direct your written comments to:
- US Army Corps of Engineers
- Regulatory Branch, attention Phelicia Gomes
- 333 Market Street
- San Francisco, CA 94105-2197
Also, send a copy to
- Robert Batha, Chief of Permits
- San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission
- Fifty California Street, Suite 2600
- San Francisco, CA 94111
Thanks again for your continued support. With your help I am confident that these agencies will respond favorably!
Sincerely,
Mark S sanders
04/15/2002, San Jose Mercury News
2/22/2002, Update by Mark Sanders
There has been quite a bit of progress since our series of meetings with the Redwood City Planning Commission last November.
You may recall that at that time Redwood City approved the Westpoint Marina and Boatyard project, the ARC (Architectural Review Committee) approved the marina concept, and the City passed a "negative declaration" regarding environmental impacts. As a result, we now have four dozen specific items to mitigate possible environmental impacts.
In January we submitted formal application to the US Army Corps of Engineers, who have jurisdiction over this site, as well as BCDC and the Regional Water Quality Control Board. This will result in another posting of the project for public comment. With approval by these three agencies and the Port of Redwood City, I believe we will be in a position to start the actual excavation and grading to build the marina basin. I am hopeful that this will occur the summer, which means that we could be in operation the following year!
Meanwhile, a full Geotechnical analysis has been completed, and we have a detailed survey of the channel from Redwood Creek to the marina entrance. The Geotechnical involved deep borings to determine the nature of the soil under the marina, and produced no surprising results. There are more details at our Website (www.westpointmarina.com), if you have interest.
The last boats in Peninsula Marina are now gone, but I am glad to report that Pete Uccelli says that boats berthed at Pete's Harbor can expect to have a home for at least two more years...in time for Westpoint Marina to come on line.
Lastly, we continue to maintain and add to the wait list. There has been some requests for covered berths too (I for one grow tired of varnishing twice a year). If you feel strongly about this, drop us a line.
Thank you for your continued support,
mark sanders
12/26/2001, Update by Mark Sanders
December 18, 2001
END-OF-THE-YEAR UPDATE!
After the major milestone of Redwood City's approval of the Westpoint Marina Project and Negative Declaration on environmental impact, I have been engaged with many distracting issues. However progress is being made.
As we near the point where actual construction takes place, we need a thorough geotechnical investigation. This involves taking soils samples by boring down as much as seventy feet, doing lab tests and engineering evaluations, and finally making decisions about site grading methods and foundation considerations for the proposed structures. This work is underway now and is being performed by Berlogar Geotechnical Consultants.
Frank Berlogar is one of the best, and very experienced when it comes to Bay mud. So far, the borings have been uneventful, although we have found layers of oyster shells several feet thick and many feet down! This process had to wait until there was enough water to float a barge to carry the drill rig, and should be done in the next several months.
The process of removing the bittern spoils on the site is also in process. This will take most of the winter, and involves admitting seawater to dissolve the bittern, pumping it out for later processing, and letting more water in again. Each time of course it gets closer to POSW (plain old seawater). This must be completed before any other work can commence.
Meantime our application for final approval by the US Army Corps of Engineers is nearing completion, and should be in next week (thanks to Dr. Skid Hall). This will be followed by application to the Water Quality Control Board, and then BCDC. I hope that this is done over the winter, and in the spring when the site is dry enough we can commence excavation of the basin and preparation of the uplands part of the site.
Pete Paup, Chairman of Manson Construction (these are the people who are dredging the Redwood City Channel) has volunteered to do a bottom survey of Westpoint Marina from the main Redwood City channel to the marina entrance. This will tell us what we will need to do to assure safe navigation to the marina.
Finally, we are getting bids for the various aspects of the project: Excavation of the basin and soil conditioning; rocking of the levees; dock construction; fuel storage systems and the like.
This is taking a lot of effort by many people, several which I would like to acknowledge with thanks.
- Pete Bohley: Bohley Consulting has done all of our Civil Engineering, and Pete has guided us through some difficult straits in the past
- Tom Gilman: DES and Tom Gilman have developed our architectural concept and his imagination and help have made a big difference in our success with public agencies, as well as the vision of Westpoint Marina.
- Dr. Skid Hall: Skid is an expert with permits as well as a Stanford Professor, and a ready hand when we needed it. We are now at the point where we are "turning up the heat" in this area.
- Kent Mitchell: Mitchell and Hertzog has done all of our legal work, and Kent has looked out for our best interests and is the man behind the many rowing organizations that have given support.
- Alfredo Piazza: Alfredo is an active boater as well as our Webmaster. Thank him for our great Website!
- John Sanders: John has been managing the tasks associated with wait lists for slips as well as other chores associated with the business side of the project. He also keeps me humble.
Many others have made a big difference (like Dr. Ralph Nobles, Charles Jany, and Pete Uccelli), as well as all of you who have provided support in the past year. My thanks to each of you.
Best regards,
Mark Sanders
11/12/2001, Mark, what is next?
Finally, onto your question:
There is still some negotiations that still have to be completed with Pacific Shores regarding access to some utilities and such.
The next big deal is the US Army Corps of Engineers. This is a Federal Agency, and they control all dredging, and have declared that they have jurisdiction over bittern ponds, so I will need their approval to dredge the entrance to the marina. Since the marina basin will be excavated from dry land and moved around on the same site, there actually will be no dredging in the basin and no issues until the basin is done and we want to open in up to the Bay, via Westpoint Slough. Dr. Skid Hall is heading up this effort as part of the Westpoint Marina team. We did a study for the Corps six years ago, and hopefully this will go fast.
After the Corps comes BCDC. This is a State agency, which is charged with protecting the Bay and Bay surface, and also facilitating public use of the Bay and its shoreline. As such, Westpoint Marina actually furthers their mission. The fact that we will not dump any dredge spoils, are getting rid of a bunch of toxic bittern, adding 13 acres of Bay surface and some wetlands, and providing public access to the Bay should mean they love this project. We will see.
After that, the Water Quality Control Board needs to approve the project (storm runoff from the roads and the like), then the Port of Redwood City (they have endorsed the project in the past), and finally a "Use Permit" from Redwood City.
It is possible that all this could be done in a few months, but six months is more likely. I have begun to talk to construction operators about digging the basin and rocking the levees, with the expectation that we can start next spring! I am also getting bids for the docks, pilings, power and such. At nearly $20,000 per slip, its a staggering part of the project!
Once the permitting is done, we will build the two small bridges over a storm drain, and begin to slowly excavate and at the same time rock the outer levees. Once the excavation is done (another six months) we can rock the inner levees, add the pilings, and begin to build the docks. It is possible that we can build the whole thing before we need to breach the levee and open it to the sea.
Regards,
mark
11/01/2001, October 16th Planning Commission Meeting Outcome
Great news!
I am pleased to report that last night the Redwood City Planning Commission approved the "Negative Decalaration" for environmental review, and a grading permit. This is an important step towards construction of Westpoint Marina. My sincere thanks to all of you for your help,
Mark Sanders
10/12/2001, October 2nd Planning Commission Meeting Outcome
Hello to all:
First, I want to apologize to, and also to thank all the people who showed up last night at the Oct 2nd Planning Commission meeting.. The Westpoint Marina project was NOT on the agenda, and I should have advised you all via e-mail of that fact. Sorry! However, it was fun meeting with you, and discussing the status. Charles Jany, the Redwood City Principal Planner did come out and spend some time with us during the meeting, and also gave us a Planning Commission Memorandum that stated the Commissions continued belief ( after reviewing all of the letters and comments received at the last meeting ) that a "negative declaration can adequately address the environmental issues of the project".
He did indicate that there are still some issues that must be addressed prior to a full go ahead, but he felt that Mark has done not only a fine job of presenting his project, but of doing "all of the right things to protect the environment"... The Planning Commission meeting of Oct. 16th WILL address the Westpoint Marina project, and I believe that a strong showing will again help our joint efforts to get through this critical first step.
Thanks for your continued interest and support..
Best regards,
John Sanders
9/27/2001, Upcoming Events
All,
The next meeting is October 2nd, and they will do an update of the project but Mark cannot be there. The next formal yes/no public hearing is scheduled for the 16th. Mark will be there for that, and he should have answers for the Planning Commission questions.
Alfredo
9/20/2001, Planning Commission Outcome
All,
The Public Hearing on the application EA 10913-0, 1501 – 1599 Seaport Boulevard. for Mark Sanders' application for the new Westpoint Marina on September 18th at the Redwood City Council Chambers, 1017 Middlefield Rd. began at 7:30 PM
There were two (2) parts to the meeting:
- Use Permit for the Marina and Boatyard
- Environment Report
We had a good number of people who showed up for the meeting, not as many as I would like to see, but respectable. I believe that the Use Permit issue was well understood and all the speakers did a good job of making their case.
There were three (3) last minute NEGATIVE Reports to the project that the planning commission did not get a chance to read prior to the meeting. One was from Fish and Game, another was the Seaport Business Project next to the Marina project (Mark assured the Seaport Business Project that their issues would be worked out) and I'm not sure of the third report. The upshot of this was that STAFF recommended that everyone be heard and that the Planning Commission review the material in the negative reports and bring it up again in the coming weeks (no date was given, it could be a month off).
I was deeply disappointed that the Planning Commission did not approve the Project on the spot. But then I want the project approved and done NOW!
Just call me biased.
—Karrie
9/10/2001
This thumbnail shows the notice from Redwood City regarding the public hearing that is
coming up September 18th. It says this is the chance for people to say yes/no on the subjects
of a full Environmental Impact Review, and the use permit that we need to start moving dirt at
the marina site. This is the first time all Westpoint Marina supporters can make a difference.
A full EIR is a very expensive and time-consuming process, and it is great for us that the City
has proposed a "Negative Declaration". It makes sense because the site is well understood (only
a levee and bittern pond) and this use is very benign. Nonetheless, there may be people who don't
like it, so suportive letters or attendees to the meeting will help us.- The full Biotic Study (analysis of the impact on the local flora and fauna) has been completed . It concludes that little negative and a lot positive will come from the marina. And it gives means to mitigate the small negatives, which we will do.
- The completed Traffic Study showed almost no impact.
- Finally, the Architectural Review Committee (ARC) of Redwood City reviewed the design, and liked it a lot, with a few comments. Based on the above factors, the planning commission will recommend a Negative Declaration on environmental impact, and an OK on the use permit. This will be the go-ahead to get down to brass tacks with the other agencies.
