Clear sailing so far for big berths

By Naoibh O'Connor-Staff writer

Plans to build a 22-berth floating marina at the base of George Wainborn Park are another step closer to reality after the Development Permit Board approved a controversial application by Concord Pacific Tuesday night.

The proposal includes a 75-square-metre marina building on a floating dock at 1575 Homer Mews.

False Creek resident Rider Cooey lobbied against the marina over concerns it is too large and moored boats will block views. He compares it to the equivalent of a boat parking lot. Cooey said the Development Permit Board's only conditions on the marina include reducing the extension of the deck roof by a third, moving and concealing infrastructure elements designated for the service desk and requiring that four of the 22 vessels be sailboats.

He described the latter condition as a "kind of victory in principle, but not in practical terms."

He added, "It's a mixed response. We're happy that they set the conditions regarding the nature of some of the vessels. They're requiring that four vessels be sailboats, but we're very disappointed it's only four. That has very little impact on either the environmental or the view potential of the site."

Cooey, who maintains a 200-person email list called False Creek Alert, pointed out that based on a survey of the Quayside marina, the new marina would likely average four sailboats even without the requirement from the permit board.

"[But] the fact that they recognize the importance of views and that motor vessels create more serious view blockage, pollution potential and safety hazards than do sailboats, and made that part of the conditions for approval enables us to carry forward with other regulatory bodies," he said.

David West, operations manager of Cooper Boating on Granville Island, was pleased with the Development Permit Board's decision. West is in favour of more marina spaces catering to boats measuring 30 to 40 feet. "I wouldn't say I'm a booster of that marina per se," he said. "Vancouver just needs more marinas, so if this one is going to be in there and it's going to relieve the load at other marinas it's fine. We're just short of marina spots, period."

West said a lot of marinas were built when a boat was considered "big" if it was 30 feet, so many marinas have many slips between 25 and 30 feet. But the average boat sold now is 35 feet and up. "There's just a real shortage and it's critical for people buying boats and visiting yachtsmen coming to the city-there's no place to put their boats," he said.

Cooey doesn't buy that argument.

"Berths in False Creek for 22 very large vessels will do very little to relieve the pressure for visitor berths in False Creek. These are berths for people who will be there permanently, unless they decide to flip their strata title berths," he said. "We're not opposed to boats in False Creek. We're not opposed to motor boats of 30 feet. We favour sailboats and we're in favour of marinas for sailboats. If this had turned into a sailboat marina, we would have happily gone away."

Opponents maintain the marina is not a certainty yet and vow to contest the marina application at all possible opportunities, including the city Board of Variance and the Burrard Inlet Environmental Review. They also plan to pursue the protection of False Creek shoreline waters through a "heritage landscape" designation by the city, province and federal governments.

Concord Pacific had calls from eight people by early Wednesday afternoon who wanted to buy slips at the marina, although they aren't being sold yet.

A call to the Concord Pacific marina spokesperson was not returned by the Courier's deadline.

published on 03/31/2006