Comments on the financial priorities of the Berkeley Marina, based on an email exchange with Norman La Force regarding a floating restaurant proposalFrom pk@well.com Sat Nov 15 00:17:48 2003
Subject: Re: Floating Restaurant
On Tue, 11 Nov 2003, Norman La Force wrote:
> Dear Commissioners:
There may well be some good reasons for sinking this concept, but I don't
think any of them are mentioned here. Note that BCDC gives Hornblower
approval for a floating houseboat used only for food preparation. This has
even less of a public access character than a floating restaurant.
BCDC's position on boats as "bay fill" has changed considerably since the
'80s.
> Some Commissioners will recall that in the mid-1980's there was the
fellow who had his floating boat moored in the North Basin Cove and
other locations Ultimately, BCDC got it removed and out of the Bay.
Now you want to proceed with a commercial venture of similar concept
for your waterfront.
That was Klaus Von Wendell's waiting-to-be-restored 190 ft. WWII patrol
boat and GreenPeace vessel, the "Ohana Kai." The boat had considerable
historical value, both from its WWII history and its role in GreenPeace.
Cutting it into pieces was a somewhat clumsy way of dealing with Klaus'
collection of derelicts in the North Sailing Basin and along the shore
near the hotel, but it's too late now. Anyway, there is absolutely nothing
"of similar concept" here with Klaus' old pile of junk, except that they
both involve things that float.
> In addition, you already have His Lordships, which is a money loser,
and Skates, about which I know little. Why add a third restaurant
in the water when you have a loser in His Lordships and other vacant
buildings at the Marina.
Skates is a very important revenue source, and helps to keep the Marina
Fund in the black. We are trying hard to bring our two underperforming
restaurants (Hs. Lordships and the old Dock of the Bay building) up to the
same level of performance. A new lease is in the works for the Dock of the
Bay building. Hs. Lordships' problems seem to be internal, but the site
has great potential and will eventually be a valuable asset when the lease
is finally renegotiated, if not sooner.
I think you imply that the Marina cannot support any more restaurant
business than it already has, but there is no evidence for this. The
market is regional, and successful restaurants tend to cluster.
> Any impacts on the Eastshore State Park such as traffic along
University Ave would have to be mitigated. I would be comptemplating
requesting that the Sierra Club ask for a substantial monetary
mitigation fee for impacts on the new wildlife area of the Meadow to
cover such impacts.
The Marina does all it can to encourage better performance of its existing
restaurants. These efforts have not been particularly effective to date in
the case of Hs. Lordships and Dock of the Bay, but if we do succeed, the
effect on traffic on U. Ave. will be quite a bit more than that caused by
the small floating restaurant proposed. No-one is calling for mitigation.
In any case, the relative increase in traffic would be small compared to
that caused by existing recreational and commercial uses.
Increased restaurant business means more revenue to the Marina Fund, which
increases the Marina's ability to support and maintain various non-profit
educational and recreational organizations and public park amenities
(Shorebird Nature Center, The Nautalis Institute's Pegasus Project, Bay
Area Association of Disabled Sailors, Cal Sailing Club, Cal Adventures,
the Municipal Fishing Pier, and a number of small public parks). Some of
these groups are supported through below-market leases, some as budgeted
line items for operation and maintenance.
Aside from the inherent value of these services and amenities to the
community at large, note that the Marina has in the past asked for General
Fund support when it has faced financial difficulties. I think it is very
important to avoid this in the current economic environment. In fact, the
Marina may be in a position to do just the opposite: Off-loading some of
the City's recreation programs to the Marina could help out with the
City's financial crisis, and at the same time provide some very attractive
new recreational opportunities for local youth.
> Without knowing more about the proposal, this is all I can say now.
Thank you for your comments.
Paul Kamen
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