So what's the big deal? It's a fuzzy iPad picture of an old boat sitting at a new dock.
The big deal, at least in our marina, is that this is the new F dock at Gate 3 in Squalicum Marina. In the background is the new G dock. When we bought our boat the wood F and G docks were the oldest in the marina and they were pretty funky. When we got our first permanent slip it was on F. We really liked the location and we didn't mind the funky dock at all. Of course we immediately heard that the dock was going to be replaced but nothing happened for the next twelve years.
Finally last fall the announcement came that the F and G replacement project was actually going to get underway and all the boats still on those docks (the port had not been assigning slips on them for a couple of years as they came vacant) were given temporary slip assignments elsewhere in the marina. We made it known that we wanted to return to our old position when the new docks were completed.
That finally happened this past weekend. They did a bang-up job on the new docks using the latest type of power stands, new dockboxes, perforated cleats, lighting, etc.
The reason for the twelve-plus year delay in the project? Paperwork and red tape. Permits, delays, countless tiny design change requirements from the city, county, and state that took months to approve, environmental impact statements, more permits, more changes, fish migration dates that had to be observed..... On and on and on. All to drive new piles in place of the old ones and install new concrete floats in place of the old wooden ones.
I have no idea of the figures but it would not surprise me at all if the cost of the project was multiplied ten or twenty fold (or more) simply because of all the time required by the red tape and paperwork. And a project that ultimately took about six months to complete including dredging took twelve years.
The big deal, at least in our marina, is that this is the new F dock at Gate 3 in Squalicum Marina. In the background is the new G dock. When we bought our boat the wood F and G docks were the oldest in the marina and they were pretty funky. When we got our first permanent slip it was on F. We really liked the location and we didn't mind the funky dock at all. Of course we immediately heard that the dock was going to be replaced but nothing happened for the next twelve years.
Finally last fall the announcement came that the F and G replacement project was actually going to get underway and all the boats still on those docks (the port had not been assigning slips on them for a couple of years as they came vacant) were given temporary slip assignments elsewhere in the marina. We made it known that we wanted to return to our old position when the new docks were completed.
That finally happened this past weekend. They did a bang-up job on the new docks using the latest type of power stands, new dockboxes, perforated cleats, lighting, etc.
The reason for the twelve-plus year delay in the project? Paperwork and red tape. Permits, delays, countless tiny design change requirements from the city, county, and state that took months to approve, environmental impact statements, more permits, more changes, fish migration dates that had to be observed..... On and on and on. All to drive new piles in place of the old ones and install new concrete floats in place of the old wooden ones.
I have no idea of the figures but it would not surprise me at all if the cost of the project was multiplied ten or twenty fold (or more) simply because of all the time required by the red tape and paperwork. And a project that ultimately took about six months to complete including dredging took twelve years.
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