On Monday January 11, 2021, the Coalition’s Marina Committee (Committee) conducted its monthly meeting with the S.R. Community Development Department (CDD), S.R. Dept. of Public Works (DPW), Marina Village Associates (MVA) and Safe Harbor Marinas (SHM) for review of the developments at The Village at Loch Lomond Marina. Not in attendance at this meeting was the Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC). This meeting was held as a Zoom video conference.
The Committee members represent the community, including The Strand HOA and the Village at Loch Lomond Marina Association (VLLMA — which owns some of the public access parcels and represents all owners of parcels within the Village at Loch Lomond Marina). SHM is the owner of the marina and marina-related parcels. MVA is the owner of the undeveloped/unsold residential parcels and retains some responsibility for completion of work on some of the public access parcels.
NOTE: For the first time in several years, MVA was present at this meeting and intends to have ongoing participation. Until this point, all communications between the Committee and MVA has been conducted via San Rafael agencies as an intermediary. This has proven frustrating for all concerned. MVA’s direct participation is welcome and has already proven very beneficial in the exchange of information and status.
Following is a summary report on the items discussed at this meeting:
Fuel Dock: The BCDC permit continues to be delayed at the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) as well as the Army Corp of Engineers (ACOE). MVA explained that they are working on clarifying to ACOE that this is not a new facility but an upgrade to an existing one in order to shorten the ACOE timeframe. This ACOE delay may be contributing to the RWQCB delay and both are apparently the only impediment to BCDC approval. MVA hopes to have these delays cleared by Spring or early Summer 2021. However, SHM has stated that construction of this facility is lower on their priority list than other projects within the marina that need to be addressed first.
Harbormaster’s Office: The S.R. building permit was issued in early January 2021. SHM is preparing the documentation for the bid package and hopes to have it issued in early February 2021. SHM plans to begin construction in Spring 2021.
Yacht Club Re-facing: SHM is awaiting BCDC final approval with, hopefully, a simple BCDC clearance. S.R. permit approval must await BCDC approval by regulation, but that permit is waiting in the wings.
Kayak Dock (between Yacht Club and Boat Launch Ramp): MVA stated that it plans to submit the final design to BCDC for approval by the end of January 2021.
Kayak Launch Ramp (at the Breakwater connector): The ramp was originally included in BCDC’s Permit Amendment #5. However, the redesigned ramp included the requirement to expand the bay fill by 37 cubic feet. This fill is intended to come from the material removed in the construction of the walkway in the breakwater connector work (see below). This will shorten the approval process by both RWQCB and ACOE that would otherwise have required more time and effort had that material come from some other source. The process of obtaining RWQCB and ACOE approval is, apparently, the only remaining obstacle to obtaining BCDC permit approval and proceeding with the work on both this ramp and the breakwater connector and east jetty work (see below). However, both RWQCB and ACOE move a bureaucratic pace.
Breakwater Connector & East Jetty (playground) Flooding: MVA stated that the primary delay in starting this work is that it is tied to the approval of the kayak launch ramp changes (see above) plus some other rather minor changes requested by BCDC.
East Jetty Playground Opening: The VLLMA member of the Committee stated that the VLLMA has concluded that the expense and manpower needed to open the playground under current COVID-19 restrictions is in excess of what VLLMA can provide. As a result, the playground will remain closed to everyone until the COVID-19 restrictions are eased. This re-opening likely may be further delayed by the required construction work to resolve the periodic flooding issues (see above).
Loch Lomond Drive Traffic Calming: The San Rafael Traffic Engineer’s recommendations to resolve speeding and parking issues were reviewed with the Village at Loch Lomond Marina Association (VLLMA). It will be the responsibility of VLLMA in conjunction with MVA, which continues to hold some development responsibilities, to arrive at, and implement, a solution.
Residential Housing and Muli-Use Building Construction: MVA has stated that any further construction is dependent on the sale of the property to a new residential developer. No such sales activity has currently been identified by MVA, but there are some indications that discussions might be in progress.
Loch Lomond Drive Street Sign: Street signs have been installed at the signal poles in each direction identifying both Lochinvar and Loch Lomond Drive. No additional signs were installed in the eastbound and westbound medians where at this point only Lochinvar is identified. The Committee asked to have signage installed at those points as well.