On Monday October 21, 2019, the Coalition’s Marina Committee (Committee) met with the S.R. Community Development Department (CDD) and S.R. Dept. of Public Works (DPW) for our regular monthly review of the developments at The Village at Loch Lomond Marina (the residential portion is called “The Strand”) whose developer is Marina Village Associates (MVA). This is a summary of the items discussed at that meeting. [NOTE: The previous two months’ meetings were cancelled by mutual agreement]
BCDC Permit Amendment #5: This crucial document, which has been many, many months in process, was finally accepted by BCDC and will become official by early December. It covers the BCDC-mandated work that MVA must accomplish in order to correct the flooding issues that have plagued the connector to the breakwater and the eastern jetty which contains the playground. The details of that work and any mandated completion dates won’t be known until the final amendment becomes public in December. However, it is not expected that any work would begin until at least Spring 2020.
BCDC Permit Amendment #7: This amendment was created to cover the planned boat fuel dock and fuel storage facility. It was submitted by MVA to BCDC about two months ago. BCDC has reviews the proposed work and asked MVA for more information, so this amendment is back in MVA’s hands at this point. As a note, this permit must be approved before MVA can underground the pipe from the fuel storage to the fuel dock. That underground trench will also accommodate the utilities along the western edge of the property. That must be done before the utility poles can be removed which, in turn, is necessary before the pedestrian path between the marina and The Cove can be completed.
Restaurant/Harbormaster’s Office: MVA still has not applied to renew this expired permit.
Yacht Club Re-facing: The plans for the refacing of the yacht club building to blend with the new architecture has been approved by CDD. A permit request was submitted by MVA to CDD and is currently in the approval process.
Kayak Dock: The proposed kayak dock design (between the yacht club building and the boat launch ramp) has been accepted by MVA. No permit has yet been requested by MVA.
NOTE: The previous three items are “tied together” by the CDD and must be approved and completed as a “unit”, not as three separate projects.
Exterior Lighting on the South and West Faces of Andy’s Market: There are still issues regarding some of the lighting in the trash enclosure and over the delivery doors on the west side that spill light pollution into The Cove HOA. CDD is aware of this issue and plans to address it along with other discussions being held with Andy’s Market.
Boat Repair Facility: While the building has been demolished, there is still considerable material remaining that must be removed. MVA has provided no timetable to do so.
Surcharge Removal: This is awaiting the determination that the underlying soil has sufficiently compressed to be able to sustain the residential buildings planned here. That determination has not been made as yet.
Below Market Rate Units: The project was approved with 17 BMR units. All but 6 have been build and sold. MVA has requested an waiver of these remaining 6 units in lieu of a payment to the S.R. Restricted Fund for low-cost housing. The argument in favor of this action is that the amount of the in-lieu payment (estimated at a bit less than $4M) would result in far more than 6 low-cost housing units via City support of nonprofit housing entities. MVA would then be able to build and sell these 6 units at market rate, resulting in what is often called a win-win situation. This discussion is still in its early stages between MVA and the City and likely will not be settled until early 2020.