Department of Public Works
Proposal Score: 78.8
Marina Services Expansion Proposal
Marina Services Expansion Design Documents
Public Comments
Burlington has proven itself to be a poor steward of the PUBLIC waterfront when it comes to boaters. They have taken public land protected by a federally built breakwater and have monopolized it and turned it into the most expensive marina on the lake. Protection behind the breakwater has been transformed into a floating hotel, largely catering to the wealthy elite, many from north of the border. This marina proposal is yet another effort to generate more revenue for the City on the backs of boaters and to make boating and the lake more inaccessible to the general public. Boaters looking for a safe anchorage and access to the city are met at the door by the revenue collectors with one message; pay up or you are not welcome here. If you don't like it go somewhere else, oh wait, there is nowhere else. Well now, we got you don't we, pay double then! (And never mind that smell from the sewage treatment plant.)
Burlington's heritage includes utilizing the waterfront for boating - we were once one of the busiest ports in the country, and now barely offer any boating opportunities at all. The City plan is the best way to open our harbor to the rest of the sizable and international Lake Champlain boating community, and bring the boating world to our shores, again. That is something all Burlington citizens can participate in and enjoy. We should share our world class lakefront, and enhance our City's waterfront reputation again.
I agree completely with the last comment. The south end of the waterfront is very much in flux, and it will be difficult for this project to effectively address cohesive aesthetics, traffic & pedestrian flow before the LCT site's fate is determined. Also, why does this not follow the marina plans outlined in PlanBTV?
Parks and Recreation are driving a growth agenda for our waterfront. We need to have more community consensus on the types of facilities we want that serve the public. While public service is a small part of this proposal, it is really a marina proposal. The public needs to be clearer on the visual and social impacts of more marina facilities to Burlington's local ethos and culture.
A no-brainer for the waterfront. We need more marina services but please this can't be City run. Leave this to experts who really know how to run this.
I really like this concept... both the on water and on land proposals in here... that would greatly improve water access for the public and boat owners as well.
The waterfront should be the domain of the public, not of the small boating community. An expansion of marina infrastructure only serves to crowd out opportunities with broader appeal and reinforce the exclusive nature of the Burlington waterfront.
The boater services are badly needed. This keeps some of the transient small dinghy traffic away from the ferry and commercial boat traffic.
Better protection from south winds is great. We really need it to do anything on the south end of the waterfront. What happens to the mooring for the locals? Only docks? Docks are more expensive. Boats can't swing to the wind and they get banged up easier on docks. Locals need the option of moorings too or they will get priced out of the chance of having a boat in Burlington harbor. Unfortunately people think that boats they can walk up to are public property. Security would need to be provided for boats on docks.
