City Agrees to Use Park Funds For Marina Repair

The city’s share of park bond money approved by Bay Area voters in 2008 will go toward repairing the marina, at the expense of other projects at the waterfront, such as upgrading the John Muir Amphitheater and the fishing pier.

The City Council on Wednesday approved allocating $1.6 million in Measure WW funds to begin repairing the eastern wall of the marina, which is presently allowing massive amounts of silt to render that side of the facility unusable. But that money is only a portion of what is needed to complete the marina project. The city is waiting now for the state to approve a $3.1 million loan that would provide the lion’s share of the funds. Also in the works is a likely $500,000 from an unnamed corporate donor.

“This is a turning point for the tangled and muddy history of the marina,” quipped councilman Mark Ross, who sits on the Marina Subcommittee with Mayor Rob Schroder.

Though some members of the council and the city’s parks commission wanted to see the WW money used on non-marina projects, the council felt the project would be jeopardized without it.

“The community feels this is a very important part of the city,” said Mayor Rob Schroder. “If the marina went away, it would not be a good thing. Not just for the boating public, but for our citizens in general.”

The project now hangs on the State Department of Boating and Waterways, the agency which provided the first loan to the city in 1960 to build the marina. That loan is still outstanding. Now the city wants to borrow $3.1 million to repair the wall and dredge the area to make it a viable marina again.

That is essential for the people like Larry Littrell, who lives on a boat at the marina. He urged the council to make the repair project happen quickly.

“Imagine not being able to use your car half the time, or not being to go into your house half the time,” he said. “This is the gateway to the delta. If you get this project done, people will come here and spend the night, buy gas, eat at the restaurants.”

However, the deal could go south if the state requires repayment of the loan from the city’s general fund. Councilmember Mike Menesini made that clear on Wednesday.

“Under no circumstance am I in favor of encumbering general fund money with respect to these loans,” Menesini said. “We’ve had a partnership with the state, everyone has funding problems. The state needs to step up and be a partner. If there is any indication the general fund will be encumbered with this loan, they should forget it.”

City officials say the state should make a decision on the loan no later than August.

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