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Mooring field put on hold

The city needs more facts, such as: How much would it cost?

By CRISTINA SILVA
Published November 29, 2006

A proposal for a mooring field has been tabled for at least three months, after the City Council determined that it needs to study the economic and environmental impacts of the project.

Last week, the council asked City Manager Thomas E. Brobeil to collect more data on the implications of building a mooring field in Gulfport.

Part of the debate is whether boaters would be drawn to moor their vessels and spend money at businesses and restaurants along the waterfront in downtown Gulfport or if the mooring field would merely turn into a storage facility for abandoned vessels.

"Boats left alone, unattended, without proper maintenance, leave problems," Mayor Mike Yakes said. "I am not against boats, but I certainly do not want to be taking care of someone else's until I get my own."

Mooring fields are supervised places where boats can be tied up to buoys anchored to a waterway's bottom, like a floating parking lot. The boaters then usually head to shore in a dinghy.

As public marina space continues to decrease, mooring fields are becoming a widely popular alternative.

In Pinellas County, the number of marina slips dropped by 580.

In response, both county and St. Petersburg officials are considering putting up a mooring field.

Gulfport first began discussing building a mooring field in June 2004, hoping to attract boaters from other communities where boat slips were hard to come by. But the idea was rejected after residents flooded City Hall with complaints that it would be too much of an eyesore.

Earlier this year, the City Council decided to revisit the idea and asked Brobeil to create a proposal. In August, he surveyed 125 residents on what the mooring field should look like.

Based on the survey, 77 percent of respondents were in favor of the city creating a mooring field near the Gulfport Casino. They recommended that the city start off with space for 50 boats, later adding space for 50 more.

Survey participants also said Gulfport residents should not get a discount on mooring fees. Residents do get a discount on slips in the city marina.

Brobeil said he could not estimate how much the project could cost until the council made a decision on the size of the mooring field.

But some council members said they could not make a decision without more facts.

"How can you decide if you want something if you don't know what it will cost?" council member Michele King said. "Truthfully, I think we are going about this backward."

Cristina Silva can be reached at (727) 893-8846 or csilva@sptimes.com.

[Last modified November 28, 2006, 21:05:17]