After careful considerations on this specific topic, the City and consultant Haley & Aldrich have developed an approach for apportioning the cost of Umbrella Permitting among participating waterfront Channel property owners.
There are two costs which will need to be apportioned as a part of the umbrella private dock/marina dredging process (i.e. all dredging that occurs outside the federal channel):
- The cost of obtaining umbrella permits. Includes the hiring of Scott Bodensteiner of Haley & Aldrich to lead the permitting through the regulatory agencies, as well as the actual cost of permits from the regulatory agencies. This cost will be apportioned based on the length of the channel-facing side of the dock(s), or the number of boat slips. See below for detail.
- The cost of the actual dredging. Includes the “piggyback” hiring of likely the US Army Corps of Engineers dredging contractor. This cost will be apportioned based on cubic yards of material removed.
Please note, these are both costs that all private property owners seeking to dredge at the same time as the US Army Corps of Engineers dredges the federal channel, must bear regardless of whether they go through the City’s umbrella permitting process or pursue both individually. However, the City is encouraging private property owners to participate in the umbrella permitting because there will be significant savings to all participating property owners due to the economies of scale of grouping together the ~150 waterfront properties on both permitting and on dredging.
Apportioning the cost of obtaining umbrella permits:
Rather than apportioning umbrella permitting by 1 waterfront parcel = 1 portion, the City has determined the fairest way to apportion umbrella permitting is to assign portions based on the length of the channel-facing side of the dock(s), or the number of boat slips. Linear docks will be charged based on how many 20’ boats would be able to dock on the channel-side of the dock.
Examples:
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Dock in bottom left corner: Based on length. 33′ = 1 portion Dock in upper right: Based on dock slips. 4 slips = 4 portions |
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Dock in center: Based on dock slips. 14 slips = 14 portions |
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Dock in bottom left corner: Based on length. 41′ = 2 portions Dock in center: Based on length. 31′ = 1 portion Dock on right: Based on length. 56’ = 2 portions (two 20’ boats would fit on channel side) |
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Dock in center: Based on length. 190′ = 9 portions (nine 20’ boats would fit on channel side) |
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All 22 homes on the southside of the Channel pictured with docks are in one HOA. The HOA would be charged apportionment for each dock based on the length of the channel-facing side of the docks (how many 20′ boats would be accommodated on each dock being that individual docks’ portion(s)), or the number of boat slips on the dock (each dock slip counting as one portion for that individual dock). |
Participating commercial marinas and yacht harbors
Finally, it is important to note that several commercial marinas and yacht harbors along the Channel have signed up to participate in the City’s umbrella permitting and dredging process as well. There are some additional considerations for the regulatory agencies in the permitting and dredging of private marinas and harbors that do not apply to individual private docks. Therefore, the City is keeping the costs of permitting commercial marinas and harbors separate from the cost of permitting individual private property docks.
The cost of permitting commercial marinas and harbors will be apportioned among the participating marinas and harbors in a similar fashion: based on the length of the channel-facing side of the docks, or the number of boat slips. The cost of the actual dredging will also be divided up among marinas/harbors based on cubic yards of material removed.
Participating private property dock owners can be reassured that the cost of permitting individual private property docks will be apportioned only among participating private property dock owners, and not shared with commercial marinas/harbors.