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Waterfront deals help but won't cure boaters' ills

Pinellas County finally has scored a couple of victories in its frustrating search for property where it can provide boaters access to the water.

On Tuesday, the County Commission voted to buy a Tarpon Springs marina and a Palm Harbor recreational vehicle park. Because both properties already have boat traffic, the county does not expect the kind of opposition that might have resulted from attempting to build ramps or slips in a new location.

For several years, boaters have bemoaned the reduction in locations to launch boats - an ironic situation on a peninsula surrounded on three sides by water and possessing a navigable river (the Anclote) and a huge freshwater lake (Lake Tarpon). Waterfront land was snapped up by condominium and hotel developers who would likely preserve water access for their residents and guests, leaving Pinellas' other boat owners out of luck.

That was the boaters' dilemma. For others - people living in quiet neighborhoods near the waterfront - the issues were different. They resisted the noise, increased traffic and potential environmental damage they felt boat ramps would bring.

In its effort to placate both sides, the county had failed to come up with a win. Early proposals to put ramps at Wall Springs Park, Pop Stansell Park, Honeymoon Island State Park and Travatine Island ran into a buzz saw of opposition from neighbors and environmentalists. The county wanted to buy a Tierra Verde marina that turned out to need too many repairs and found it couldn't offer a competitive price for a different Tarpon Springs marina.

As a condo craze swept Pinellas in the last 18 months, county officials worried about not only boat ramps, but also whether they would ever be able to acquire more waterfront land for the public - period.

Both of the deals that will be completed after the commission's Tuesday vote are in North Pinellas. The Belle Harbour Marina is located on Anclote Road in Tarpon Springs and has dry storage for 110 boats and 18 wet slips. The facilities will change little under the county's ownership.

The Palm Harbor Resort is on the west side of Alt. U.S. 19, just north of Nebraska Avenue. For $3.8-million, the county gets one boat ramp, a bait shop, six rental cottages and a 28-unit RV park. Owner Roy Wilson said he declined better offers because he didn't want the property developed into condominiums. The county hopes to provide one more ramp and parking space on the property but will not continue to operate the RV park. The county wisely has offered relocation help to the residents who make their home in the park.

While these purchases are a plus because they put precious waterfront land under public ownership, they don't do a lot to improve the boat ramp situation for North Pinellas boaters and do nothing for South Pinellas boaters still clamoring for ramps. The county, and cities as well, still need to search out and take advantage of opportunities to retain and expand the public's access to the waters around Pinellas.

[Last modified August 4, 2006, 07:07:06]