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Boating issue just got broader

St. Petersburg expands a"mooring field'' idea into related marine issues: derelict boats, ramps and liveaboards.

By JON WILSON
Published June 25, 2006

ST. PETERSBURG - It started earlier this year when City Council member Jamie Bennett proposed a city-supervised "mooring field" where boaters could tie up their craft.

But the issue proved bigger than Big Bayou, which was the suggested mooring site off Sixth Street S.

As Bennett and other city officials talked with residents including boaters, it quickly became apparent that keeping boats in waterways is a citywide issue.

So Bennett proposed a task force to bring some order to a broad, multifaceted issue.

The city staff, meanwhile, brought forth another idea.

"In a nutshell, we're recommending a summit," said David Metz, downtown enterprise facilities director, at a council committee meeting Thursday.

Whether running a task force or summit - and the difference appears to hinge on how many people would participate in each - the city is signaling serious intent to explore several boating issues.

In addition to the original mooring field proposal, officials want to explore concerns about derelict boats, development of public boat ramps and development or redevelopment of marina facilities.

A summit, open to the public, "is a way of reaching a broader group," Metz said. He said it could also be used as a tool to inform the community about the issues and perhaps to explore waterway law enforcement issues from the state's perspective.

Bennett said he was "okay" with the summit idea, but suggested that the discussion probably would end up with a task force regardless. He said one day won't be enough to resolve all the concerns.

"There's a lot of passion behind this issue," he said.

The upshot: Officials decided Thursday to "continue the dialogue" and figure out how best to bring waterway concerns before the community - and find solutions. It will probably be late summer or early fall before either a summit or a task force can be organized.

For the time being, the mooring field proposal is on hold.

St. Petersburg's waterway issues are shared statewide by other waterfront communities.

The city has miles of shoreline, stretching from Boca Ciega Bay, around Pinellas Point, past Big and Little Bayous and up to the Weedon Island and Gandy areas.

Canals and lagoons offer alternatives to marinas, many of which are being converted to other uses.

Living aboard a boat somewhere other than in a marina can be difficult because of the restrictions communities often impose.

Sometimes people abandon their boats, creating navigational hazards and ruining otherwise pleasant scenery.

Concerns may vary with specific neighborhoods.

For example, council member Richard Kriseman said the west St. Petersburg areas he represents see boat ramps and the potential for Boca Ciega Bay mooring fields as bigger issues than derelict boats.

Across town, neighborhoods around Big Bayou - Driftwood, Coquina Key and Tropical Shores, for example - are more attuned to the derelict vessels.

Earlier this year, several bobbed in Big Bayou. Les Miller, a St. Petersburg police officer who specializes in marine issues, said "three or four" such boats have been removed from Big Bayou, and perhaps another "two or three" from other city waterways.

"It's a long process" to get abandoned boats removed, Miller said.

Bennett said the Big Bayou removals are a sign of progress.

"Just shining the light on the issue has had a positive effect," he said.

[Last modified June 25, 2006, 02:54:25]