If they get there way no more rafting in Old Harbor.


Harbormaster presents ambitious management plan for Old Harbor
By Peter Voskamp




Old Harbor's outer basin filled with dozens of rafted yachts last
July 4 weekend. Harbormaster Chris Willi has proposed a plan to remedy
overcrowding and provide better emergency access for the entire Old
Harbor. Photo by Emily Lindquist

Harbormaster Chris Willi impressed the Harbors Committee with a
PowerPoint presentation on Tuesday night, Jan. 17, detailing a
conceptual plan to rearrange and manage Old Harbor.

It included not only a much-discussed infrastructure rehabilitation of
the south and west docks in Old Harbor's inner basin (new bulkheads,
utilities, planking and lighting), but also a new two-story
office/bathroom/shower facility on the south dock. And, perhaps most
ambitiously, the rebuilding of the Mount Hope dock, a 500-foot pier
inside the eastern breakwater, as well as another brand new dock within
the western breakwater.

Willi stressed that though the creation of new dock space was an
integral part of the plan, the reason for it was not to bring more
boaters to the island, but rather to accommodate fewer boats in a safer
manner, spreading them out to allow for better fire and rescue access.
Also, more revenue could result for the town.

Willi said during a busy summer weekend too many boats anchor
haphazardly along the large breakwater and in the outer basin; at times
dozens of vessels raft up to one another. The town cannot regulate the
number of boats in the outer basin, Willi said, and also has little
access to them in the event of an emergency.

The inner basin is similarly plagued by excessive rafting in the
summer, with rows of vessels tied up side-by-side. The rafted vessels
are not only unable to access any utilities such as water and
electricity, but also are in a very precarious position in the event of
fire or other emergency.

Willi went through frame after frame of the presentation, asking the
commissioners for any suggestions they might have. The presentation,
projected on screen, included historic photographs to illustrate
different points. Willi plans to give a similar presentation to the
Town Council next week.

Police Chief Vin Carlone was on hand and supported the changes "100
percent." Although the new arrangement might create more work for the
police force, Carlone said it would prove a vastly more responsible
arrangement than what is currently in place.

And, as Willi has previously said, the entire project could be financed
with an approximately $3-million bond, which the Harbors Department
would shoulder from its own revenue with no expense to taxpayers.

The inner basin

Apart from the two-story bathroom/ shower facility and extensive
rehabilitation of the infrastructure, Willi envisioned decking over
areas along the west dock that are open and without planking currently.
Also, he suggested moving the bait dock to the end of the inner basin
breakwater on the west side.

Vice Chair Hermann "Bo" Gempp said a roof over the bait dock would
be a good idea, and Gary Hall, a commercial fisherman, said that the
small stone jetty out to the current bait dock would need some
attention because stones are coming loose; and perhaps planking could
be extended to connect to it as well.

Willi showed a proposed stern-to docking arrangement in the inner
basin. He said it would be safer, and more boats could be accommodated
than with a recently proposed two-boat rafting limit for the inner
basin.

Once the changes are in place, the town could charge the industry
standard $4-per-foot dockage fee, instead of the $2.50 it currently
does. Also, the electricity could be metered. There was some discussion
if a flat rate should be charged for power, or if metering would be the
best route.

The outer basin

and western breakwater

Willi's plan showed a dock wrapped within the western breakwater
interior, stretching 800 feet, and 8 feet wide. It would accommodate 40
to 45 slips, and would require approximately 20,000 cubic yards of
dredging. It would also tie into a boardwalk, which has been proposed
in the Old Harbor Vision study, and another small Harbors Department
building would be placed there.

If this dock were installed, no more anchoring would be allowed in Old
Harbor's outer basin, though some moorings would be available.

Mount Hope dock

The plan showed a rebuilt Mount Hope dock (the original was destroyed
in the 1938 Hurricane). At 500 feet long and 8 feet wide, it would
provide approximately 20 to 25 slips. Ten thousand cubic yards of sand
would have to be dredged to accommodate the dock.

Costs

Willi provided a breakdown of cost estimates. The numbers came from a
Narragansett-based marine construction firm that was here in the fall
to work on the new eight-slip marina for Ballard's Wharf. Willi said
the numbers are for current material costs, and could rise by 15
percent in just the next six months.

The inner basin south dock construction cost was estimated to be
$896,000 (the two-story building not included); the west dock:
$201,000; the Mount Hope dock: $610,000; the west breakwater site:
$1,595,000. The total comes to $3,302,000 - not far off from
Gempp's original bond estimate a few months ago.

Willi then provided a detailed breakdown of the potential revenue the
expanded dock areas could bring in.

Based on a 90-day season at 50-percent capacity, the changes could
bring in $607,200; at 75-percent capacity: $897,000; and at 100-percent
capacity, $1,212,000.

Gempp said there would be revenue coming in from Great Salt Pond that
was not included in the figures.

Though he is still awaiting concrete bond service costs from town
Finance Director Tom Moon, Willi outlined the attendant expenses he
expects to come with the new infrastructure (garbage, electricity,
water, more employees, and debt service for example), which would
amount to about $560,000 annually.

Willi also said that if any or all of the suggestions were adopted by
the town, he'd recommend the work not be done in a piecemeal fashion,
otherwise it would not pay for itself. Committee member Renwick
"Pete" Tweedy said that when talking to the Town Council, it must
be stressed that "doing nothing is not an option," given the
deteriorated condition of much of the Old Harbor inner basin.

The group applauded Willi's efforts and offered encouragement.

Willi asked for "devil's advocates," so the presentation can be
made as seamless as possible. He also would like to give the
presentation to the Block Island Residents Association, the Block
Island Maritime Institute and the Fire Department and Rescue Squad.

After the meeting, Willi said that Old Harbor is designated a Type 5
body of water, which is primarily for commercial interests, as opposed
to New Harbor, which is Type 3 for mixed use.

Officer re-elections, boat salvage

The leadership of the Harbors Committee was re-elected Tuesday night,
with William Luddy remaining chair, and Gempp remaining vice chair.

Willi said that tentative plans are underway to remove the 80-foot
Aggressor , a trawler that has been up on the rocks near Black Rock
since Thanksgiving. He said the Coast Guard is satisfied there is no
more fuel on board the boat, and a salvage barge will arrive on Jan. 23
or 24 to lift the boat and take it away.

In February, the Harbors Department will refloat the much smaller
Martin boat still on its side off Mosquito Beach, using a recently
acquired patrol boat, if the owner does not do so on his own. New
regulations allow the department to fine the owner for this effort, and
for not addressing the issue sooner.

Old Harbor is next for destruction
Featured letter


Harbormaster Chris Willi and the Block Island Harbors Department's
proposal to eliminate anchoring in Old Harbor's "Outer Basin" and
fill it with docks is wrong for so many reasons it makes my stomach
sick. Anyone taking the time to read this letter realizes that Block
Island's Old Harbor is completely unique. It's an anomaly in
boating, with nothing else like it in the entire Northeast, and
probably the entire East Coast.

Nowhere else can boaters anchor at will in a perfectly protected
harbor, with such convenient access to shoreline and a picturesque New
England town. Old Harbor, like the rest of Block Island, is a
one-of-a-kind place that truly needs to be preserved.

While everyone is focused on the proposed "land grab"/marina
expansion in New Harbor, the Harbors Department has decided to join the
fray, as one of the greedy developers, permanently taking open space
away from free public access. Why would the Harbors Department want to
become Block Island's latest big marina developer? Is Chris Willi
really the "Burger Meister Meister Burger"?

By severely limiting the boats in Old Harbor, and gobbling up the
ever-decreasing boater dollars for themselves in the form of expensive
slip fees, the Harbors Department will be removing hundreds of tourists
from patronizing New Shoreham's shops and restaurants. And they will
deprive local businesses of thousands of dollars each weekend that will
no longer be spent buying hats, dinners and ice cream. Does the Harbors
Department have a beef with the local shop owners too?

The Harbors Department needs $3.3 million to fund all its development
projects. It is counting on 50-percent occupancy during the entire
90-day boating season. But here's a little refresher from Tourism
101: boaters come to Block Island on Saturday and Sunday.

So while your marina may be full part of the weekend, Sunday night
through Thursday will be nearly empty. This means the expected revenue
from these projects will be a fraction of what the public is being
told. And after the "true" cost for these projects turns out to be
significantly higher than the initial estimates (see Reality 101 for
this fact), it's easy to figure out what residents will ultimately
end up paying, in some form or another.

Add to this the prohibitively high gas prices at the fuel dock and you
may not even fill the slips Friday or Saturday. Anyone in Old Harbor
last Labor Day knows how the $3.50/gallon gas prices already freed up a
lot of room to anchor. And did I mention the proposed $4/foot slip
fees? Councilor Ned Connelly is somehow convinced revenue will
"skyrocket" with these changes. Someone give Ned a pinch, he's
fallen asleep and is late for his shock therapy.

My family owns one of the boats that Chris Willi publicly complains
"anchors haphazardly... in the outer basin." We are the
"riff-raff" that Councilor Ned Connelly wishes would
"disappear," and that Second Warden Sisto wants to "better
control." Hmmm, I didn't realize the Nazis had taken over Old
Harbor.

Yes, we are the evil, loathsome tourists that the Town Council, the
warden and the Harbors Department despise. We are people that raft
together with our friends. During the day we swim in the harbor, dinghy
around and play on the beach. The kids on our raft spend hours catching
crabs using hot dogs as bait. They have a yellow bucket that they hold
the crabs in and when that bucket gets full, they use a red bucket and
sort the crabs by type and size, until I dump them back into the harbor
so the whole process can start all over again.

These are the things my kids talk about even now in the dead of winter.
They are the memories that will be forever lost with Willi's plan for
complete development of Old Harbor.

In public meetings this group of unchecked elites tries to cloak its
desire for control. They play the "safety card," knowing full well
that boaters are willing to accept the additional risk associated with
spending time aboard their boat. They promise huge revenue streams by
exploiting the Northeast's most unique boating destination, with
numbers that clearly don't add up. In the secrecy of the dead of
winter when they think no one is watching, they are trying to sanitize
the very character that makes Block Island so special.

Yes, Old Harbor on the 4th of July is no "Kingdom of Du Lac." There
are lots of boats. There is music, and yes, even people drinking beer.
The whole harbor rafts together in one of the only places this can
still be done. Everyone gets along, and people work out their own
problems without the need for Chris Willi's hired gun. But covering
the surface of Old Harbor with more dock space will eliminate free
access to this resource forever. The Harbors Department's vision is
one of greed and control, and not one that preserves the unique nature
of Old Harbor.

My hope is that everyone reading this understands what's happening
- people with dollar bills in their eyes are transforming Block
Island from "one of the last best places" into one big profit
center. Allowed to continue, Block Island will still be there, but
"Block" will cease to exist.

Dan Farnsworth

North Kingstown, R.I.

wrote in news:1139924226.954290.225350
@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com:

Old Harbor is next for destruction


A quote from a waterfront property owner in Beaufort, SC, always returns to
my head when I read these stories of denial-of-access to the public's
waterways. She said, "Noone wants one of those FLOATING TRAILER PARKS in
front of their waterfront.", or something like that, it's been a while.

It has nothing to do with boaters and boating. It has to do with
waterfront property values. You're blocking the realtors' view showing the
buyers. You gotta go....

I'd like to see a law that goes the other way. The only way you can have a
big long monster dock sticking out into the navigation channel to enhance
property values, is if you have a BOAT that needs to be tied up to it.
People without a need don't need to have a big dock sticking out that may
kill someone on the water.

Hilton Head Island, SC, already has an anti-boat-anchor ordinance enforced.
It'll just get worse, before the oil runs out and solves the problem.

Larry wrote:
wrote ...

Old Harbor is next for destruction

A quote from a waterfront property owner in Beaufort, SC, always
returns to my head when I read these stories of denial-of-access to
the public's waterways. She said, "Noone wants one of those FLOATING
TRAILER PARKS in front of their waterfront.", or something like that,
it's been a while.

Your analogy doesn't quite fit because there are few if any private homes
overlooking Old Harbor. In fact there are quite a few hotels and rooming
houses with balconies overlooking the harbor, and no one questions the
atmosphere provided by the anchored boats. The case in question is just
another economic power grab by local government and business interests.

OTOH, the average boat anchored in Old Harbor (as opposed to using the
facilities) often belongs in the "floating trailed park" category.

--
Good luck and good sailing.
s/v Kerry Deare of Barnegat
http://kerrydeare.comcast.net

"Armond Perretta" wrote in
:

OTOH, the average boat anchored in Old Harbor (as opposed to using the
facilities) often belongs in the "floating trailed park" category.



Now, now, those aren't hulks....They're "vintage sailing vessels in need of
restoration". They're just waiting their turn at the shipyards...(c;

wrote:
Old Harbor is next for destruction
Featured letter


Harbormaster Chris Willi and the Block Island Harbors Department's
proposal to eliminate anchoring in Old Harbor's "Outer Basin" and
fill it with docks is wrong for so many reasons it makes my stomach
sick. Anyone taking the time to read this letter realizes that Block
Island's Old Harbor is completely unique. It's an anomaly in
boating, with nothing else like it in the entire Northeast, and
probably the entire East Coast.

Nowhere else can boaters anchor at will in a perfectly protected
harbor, with such convenient access to shoreline and a picturesque New
England town. Old Harbor, like the rest of Block Island, is a
one-of-a-kind place that truly needs to be preserved.


I agree with everything you say. Would these new docks
effect/eliminate/screw up the tiny beach adjacent to the
beach/bar/restaurant, on the south side of the harbor, that we pwc'ers
and some small boats like to pull up onto? (Most of the pwc's there
have just hopped over from Point Judith, my couple friends and I are
usually the only ones over there who have come from Riverheard, LI, or
even, on occassion, Jones Beach, to hang out.)

richforman

Harbormaster applies for private mooring field outside Old Harbor
But he says applications have already been put 'on hold'
By Peter Voskamp



Harbormaster Chris Willi's name appears on an application to the
Department of Environmental Management, seeking a water quality
certificate for a proposed 4.59-acre mooring field - roughly the same
size as Champlin's Marina expansion proposal, which Willi testified
against - just northwest of the entrance to Old Harbor.

But Willi said Wednesday that the project is on hold. "We're not
sure we really want to do it," he said.

The company, "Block Island Mooring Services," which, according to
the application, includes Tony Edwards, a member and the former chair
of the Harbors Committee, is seeking to install "50-60 rental
moorings outside West Breakwater at Old Harbor, Block Island."

An accompanying letter says that the "project proposed is in type 4
waters and... is in an area classification of 'permanent closure -
polluted.'"

The letter goes on to describe a mooring field set up in a
75-by-75-foot grid pattern, to service vessels of less than 50 feet.

It ends, "Block Island Mooring Services intends to charge a fee
similar to the Town of New Shoreham's fee structure in New Harbor as
well as offer launch service. Anchorage would not be permitted in the
mooring field. Operational months would be May to October."

The date on the application is Jan. 20.

The timing of the application is sure to raise some eyebrows.

In the last month Willi, in his public role as Block Island's
harbormaster, has made the rounds to various island boards and
organizations presenting his vision for a vast renovation of Old
Harbor, which includes eliminating some mooring and free anchorage in
the outer basin of Old Harbor.

It was this aspect of the plan that has raised the most outcry,
especially from boaters on the mainland.

Reached in Florida on Wednesday, Willi said he has contacted the DEM
twice asking them not to process the private mooring field application.


The project is "on hold," said Willi. He said his "intentions are
not devious," and that he doesn't want see the Old Harbor plan,
most of which has been met with enthusiasm, compromised in any way.

He added that in his opinion, the application is incomplete, and that
the number of proposed moorings may change.

Willi acknowledged that some may see a conflict of interest in his
application, but insisted that it was an idea he and his partner had
long before he became the harbormaster. Also, he said that as
harbormaster he does not make the final decision on any of these
matters: the Town Council, the Harbors Committee and state agencies
will make the ultimate decisions.

What's more, he said, he's already altered the original Old Harbor
plan to reflect the concerns many boaters had about eliminating the
free anchorage; the newer version restores the free anchorage.

Willi and Edwards also filed an application with the US Army Corps of
Engineers. Mike Elliot of the Army Corps said that Willi had asked in
late January that that application also be "put on hold." Currently
it's "a closed file," said Elliot.

This new "harbor management plan" would change the unique character
of Old Harbor forever. It will remove free public access to open space,
and "overdevelops" an area used by thousands of people each summer,
putting it out of reach for most average boaters. This loss to the
boating community will forever change people's ability to simply head
out to Old Harbor for the weekend, both financially, and from a
convenience point of view. This means making expensive reservations
well in advance of a trip (keeping in mind variability of our weather).
No more rafting directly up to a group of friends' boats. Please stop
Block Island from slowly being transformed into a place where only the
rich are welcome, and turning it into a private island. These are my
points:

a) The unique charm and character of Old Harbor should be preserved,
just like a historic building or open meadow. It is a valuable asset to
Block Island, and one that adds a nautical ambiance for the tourists
arriving by ferry. It would be missed by everyone that visits the
island for generations to come.

b) It would permanently remove free public anchorage, and put this
resource under governmental management.

c) Anchoring boaters in Old Harbor do in fact contribute money to the
island's businesses and restaurants.

d) The activities of anchored/rafted boaters in Old Harbor do not
warrant the need for special safety concerns of Block Island's police
or harbor patrol any more than anywhere else on the island.

e) The price of fuel has risen dramatically, and charging $4/ft/night
slip fees for a relatively small number of slip spaces will put a trip
to Old Harbor out of reach for most average boaters and their families.


f) Old Harbor is a "Harbor of Refuge," offering safe, convenient
protection from rapidly changing weather conditions for the many
boaters that fish and cruise the area.

g) Only a very small number of boaters in Old Harbor cause
disturbances. The vast majority of boaters are peaceful, family
oriented, non-disruptive tourists. The perceived problem of boaters
causing disruptions could be solved by simply issuing citations to the
few troublemakers.

h) This expensive project will burden taxpayers with a marina that will
realistically not be able to support itself based on the preliminary
figures Harbormaster Chris Willi has presented.

Steve Felter

Uncasville, Conn.

This virtually unstoppable tide of greed and stupidity is rolling up
our coast both on land and sea. There's a reason why I have
Newfoundland on my mind as I work on upgrading my boat for big trips
in a few years.

BTW, I'm a harbormaster too.

--

Roger Long

I understand that the Block Island Harbormaster and the Harbors
Committee are creating a proposal to make sweeping changes to Block
Island's Old Harbor.

These changes will affect everyone that enters the harbor by private
boat and I believe they will not be good for the island nor its
visitors.

Here is a list of what I believe are in the plans:

1. Complete elimination of all anchoring in Old Harbor - including
the "outer basin"

2.Installation of docks that extend nearly the full length of both
jetties; proposed slip fees: $4.00/ft/night, total number of new slips:
60-70

3. Restrictions on rafting of boats to a two boat maximum

4. Probable changes to existing moorings

5.Rebuilding of the docks in the "inner basin," reducing rafting
even in the inner basin, to possibly as few as two boats.

I want to go on record saying that in my opinion most of these
proposals are a very bad idea both for the public as well as the
island. These proposals would change the unique character of Old Harbor
forever. And not for the good of the island either. It would remove
free public access and overdevelops an area used by tourists each
summer.

This would also keep boaters from being able to use the harbor as a
free "safe haven" in a storm as it was originally and historically
intended to be used.

This plan will not help your tourism - it will hurt it.

I plan on sending this letter to everyone I know who is involved in
boating in Rhode Island. I will also publicize this outrageous and near
sighted plan at local salt water fishing clubs meetings, fishing &
boating magazines, boat shows and fishing shows that are to be held in
the Rhode Island area such as the Providence Convention center.

I am sure very few who will hear about these plans will react favorably
to them. I hope you all will come to your senses and cancel these plans
so we can all continue to visit your beautiful island as we always
have.

Maury LaPrade

Point Judith