Fw: Last Call for boating in MdR, Demand Review by Army Corps of Engineers!
Gerald Sobel2012-03-25 07:10 UTC
Dear Fellow Sailors. Please take a minute to email the Army Corps of Engineers and tell them to halt the process of destroying your National Recreational Boating Park, that will critically hamper access and usefulness of the park for boating by 99% of the boaters. Do this even if you don't live in L.A. County.
It seems many of you who don't live here take this more seriously than those that do, which is really, really sad.
Thank you, and thank yourself. Strike a blow for justice. Once you've done this, share your comments with us so others who are still at a loss for what to say, can simply copy and paste your remarks. Thanks!
Best Regards,
Gerald Sobel
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Gerald Sobel <so… [at] msn.com>
Sent: Friday, March 23, 2012 6:26 PM
Subject: Last Call for boating in MdR, Demand Review by Army Corps of Engineers!
To everyone (fellow racers, fellow sailors, and fellow boaters) who has been confused and frustrated by the steady degradation of boating facilities in our Marina del Rey, while seeing wind obliterating, vortex creating high rise condos going up all over the Marina, accompanied by worsening traffic and gridlock on Lincoln Blvd and Admiralty Way, here is your last chance to do something about it. NO MORE PROCRASTINATION. Let's do it for ourselves and for succeeding generations of sailors and boaters who would like to have access to boating and sailing in Marina del Rey and the Santa Monica Bay.
If you have access to a mailing list of fellow sailors, please forward this information as soon as possible.
Go to it!
Set sail now and full speed ahead,
Jerry Sobel
Shpritz, Cal 24
G Basin, Marina del Rey.
310-399-0844
From: jn… [at] gmail.com
To: j… [at] johnanthonydavis.com
CC: md… [at] yahoogroups.com
Subject: MdR Boating Last Call
Date: Fri, 23 Mar 2012 14:48:30 -0700
Thanks, John for your kind words. Attached is the first draft for a response to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the massive reduction of recreational boating in Marina del Rey.
Here is what everyone reading this email should try to do:
1) Request a Public Hearing (NEPA requirement) on the permit (s) relating to the Marina del Rey Master Waterside CDP
2) Object to the determination of “independent utility” by the Corps that will allow these projects and other waterside projects to be looked at separately.
3) Express concerns that “The Project” that originated in 1954 to build a public harbor for recreational boating has “significantly changed”.
Please send your comments in by Monday, March 26, 2011
Send comments to: Sh… [at] usace.army.mil
Cc: Da… [at] usace.army.mil
& please CC: us as well: bo… [at] gmail.com
Please pass this on to other boaters, friends, and interested parties in protecting public resources.
Here is Background Information to help:
Introduction
The decision whether to issue this permit and future permits in Marina del Rey will be based on an evaluation of the probable impact including cumulative impacts of the proposed activity on the public interest. That decision will reflect the national concern for both protection and utilization of important resources. The benefit which reasonably may be expected to accrue from the proposal must be balanced against its reasonably foreseeable detriments. All factors which may be relevant to the proposal will be considered including the cumulative effects thereof. Factors that will be considered include conservation, economics, aesthetics, general environmental concerns, wetlands, cultural values, fish and wildlife values, flood hazards, flood plain values, land use, navigation, shoreline erosion and accretion, recreation, water supply and conservation, water quality, energy needs, safety, food production and, in general, the needs and welfare of the people.
We have many concerns regarding the impacts of this permit and future foreseeable permits in Marina del Rey that must be looked at cumulatively under the statutes outlined in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA):
1) The significant loss of public resources and the “significant change” of the federal project outlined in House Document 389 for the construction of Marina del Rey.
2) The need for a public hearing to determine the overall public interest of the proposed activity and drastic change of intended use.
3) The completion of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Playa del Rey Inlet and Basin, Venice, California known as Marina del Rey adopted by the Committee on Public Works and Transportation of the United States House of Representatives on September 28, 1994.
4) The determination by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Division that this project and the other foreseeable 7 projects meet “independent utility” will preclude a properly-vetted public process, be a tremendous waste of the Corps’ overly-stressed resources, a significant waste of taxpayer’s money, and could jeopardize or prejudice any findings in an EIS or Environmental Assessment (EA).
There is indisputable evidence that the cumulative projects (Master Waterside CDP - http://documents.coastal.ca.gov/reports/2011/11/Th12a-11-2011.pdf) set forth by Los Angeles County and private developers will effect a dramatic and unprecedented decrease in recreational boating resources while dramatically increasing the density and intensity of commercial landside development (non-water dependent). L.A. County currently has a Certified Local Coastal Program for Marina del Rey that is in the process of being amended to allow the reduction of 1,585 boat berths, the loss of approximately 2,056 parking spaces for boating, the removal of a boat storage and repair facility, an obstruction of the public launch ramp, and the removal of several parking lots used by boating enthusiasts.
Jon
Re: [Cal_Boats] Fw: Last Call for boating in MdR, Demand Review by Army Corps of Engineers!
Allen Edwards2012-03-25 13:23 UTC
I did not find the attached first draft. That would be helpful. If it is
there, I could not find it in the clutter of the background and other
documents.
Usually these type of requests just have a letter to copy and a place to
send it or even just a button to press and the sending is automatic. Make
it easy and you will get more support.
Allen
On Sun, Mar 25, 2012 at 12:10 AM, Gerald Sobel <so… [at] yahoo.com>wrote:
> **
>
>
> Dear Fellow Sailors. Please take a minute to email the Army Corps of
> Engineers and tell them to halt the process of destroying your National
> Recreational Boating Park by selfish and criminal interests, that will
> critically hamper access and usefulness of the park for boating by 99% of
> the boaters. Do this even if you don't live in L.A. County.
>
> It seems many of you who don't live here take this more seriously than
> those that do, which is really, really sad.
> Thank you, and thank yourself. Strike a blow for justice. Once you've done
> this, share your comments with us so others who are still at a loss for
> what to say, can simply copy and paste your remarks. Thanks!
> Best Regards,
> Gerald Sobel
>
> ----- Forwarded Message -----
> *From:* Gerald Sobel <so… [at] msn.com>
> *To:* sa… [at] yahoo.com; tg… [at] gmail.com; ap… [at] ppl4all.com;
> lu… [at] yahoo.com; in… [at] pacbell.net; to… [at] sbcglobal.com;
> wh… [at] gmail.com; jj… [at] sbcglobal.com; gy… [at] gmail.com;
> al… [at] roadrunner.com; mc… [at] earthlink.net; sa… [at] hotmail.com;
> ho… [at] kenbianchi.com; vi… [at] yahoo.com; Gerald Sobel <
> so… [at] yahoo.com>
> *Sent:* Friday, March 23, 2012 6:26 PM
> *Subject:* Last Call for boating in MdR, Demand Review by Army Corps of
> Engineers!
>
> To everyone (fellow racers, fellow sailors, and fellow boaters) who has
> been confused and frustrated by the steady degradation of boating
> facilities in our Marina del Rey, while seeing wind obliterating, vortex
> creating high rise condos going up all over the Marina, accompanied by
> worsening traffic and gridlock on Lincoln Blvd and Admiralty Way, here is
> your last chance to do something about it. NO MORE PROCRASTINATION. Let's
> do it for ourselves and for succeeding generations of sailors and boaters
> who would like to have access to boating and sailing in Marina del Rey and
> the Santa Monica Bay.
>
> If you have access to a mailing list of fellow sailors, please forward
> this information as soon as possible.
> Go to it!
> Set sail now and full speed ahead,
> Jerry Sobel
> Shpritz, Cal 24
> G Basin, Marina del Rey.
> 310-399-0844
>
> ------------------------------
> From: jn… [at] gmail.com
> To: j… [at] johnanthonydavis.com
> CC: md… [at] yahoogroups.com
> Subject: MdR Boating Last Call
> Date: Fri, 23 Mar 2012 14:48:30 -0700
>
> Thanks, John for your kind words. Attached is the *first draft* for a
> response to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the massive reduction of
> recreational boating in Marina del Rey.
>
> Here is what everyone reading this email should try to do:
> 1) Request a Public Hearing (NEPA requirement) on the permit (s)
> relating to the Marina del Rey Master Waterside CDP
> 2) Object to the determination of “independent utility” by the Corps
> that will allow these projects and other waterside projects to be looked at
> separately.
> 3) Express concerns that “The Project” that originated in 1954 to
> build a public harbor for recreational boating has “significantly
> changed”.
>
> Please send your comments in by *Monday, March 26, 2011*
>
> Send comments to: Sh… [at] usace.army.mil
> Cc: Da… [at] usace.army.mil
> *& please CC: us as well*: bo… [at] gmail.com
>
> Please pass this on to other boaters, friends, and interested parties in
> protecting public resources.
>
> Here is Background Information to help:
>
> *Introduction*
>
> The decision whether to issue this permit and future permits in Marina del
> Rey will be based on an evaluation of the probable impact including
> cumulative impacts of the proposed activity on the public interest. That
> decision will reflect the national concern for both protection and
> utilization of important resources. The benefit which reasonably may be
> expected to accrue from the proposal must be balanced against its
> reasonably foreseeable detriments. All factors which may be relevant to the
> proposal will be considered including the cumulative effects thereof.
> Factors that will be considered include conservation, economics,
> aesthetics, general environmental concerns, wetlands, cultural values, fish
> and wildlife values, flood hazards, flood plain values, land use,
> navigation, shoreline erosion and accretion, recreation, water supply and
> conservation, water quality, energy needs, safety, food production and, in
> general, the needs and welfare of the people.
>
> We have many concerns regarding the impacts of this permit and future
> foreseeable permits in Marina del Rey that must be looked at cumulatively
> under the statutes outlined in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA):
>
> 1) The significant loss of public resources and the “significant
> change” of the federal project outlined in House Document 389 for the
> construction of Marina del Rey.
>
> 2) The need for a public hearing to determine the overall public
> interest of the proposed activity and drastic change of intended use.
>
> 3) The completion of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the
> Playa del Rey Inlet and Basin, Venice, California known as Marina del Rey
> adopted by the Committee on Public Works and Transportation of the United
> States House of Representatives on September 28, 1994.
>
> 4) The determination by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory
> Division that this project and the other foreseeable 7 projects meet
> “independent utility” will preclude a properly-vetted public process, be a
> tremendous waste of the Corps’ overly-stressed resources, a significant
> waste of taxpayer’s money, and could jeopardize or prejudice any findings
> in an EIS or Environmental Assessment (EA).
>
> There is indisputable evidence that the cumulative projects (Master
> Waterside CDP -
> http://documents.coastal.ca.gov/reports/2011/11/Th12a-11-2011.pdf) set
> forth by Los Angeles County and private developers will effect a dramatic
> and unprecedented decrease in recreational boating resources while
> dramatically increasing the density and intensity of commercial landside
> development (non-water dependent). L.A. County currently has a Certified
> Local Coastal Program for Marina del Rey that is in the process of being
> amended to allow the reduction of 1,585 boat berths, the loss of
> approximately 2,056 parking spaces for boating, the removal of a boat
> storage and repair facility, an obstruction of the public launch ramp, and
> the removal of several parking lots used by boating enthusiasts.
>
> Jon
>
> *From:* j… [at] johnanthonydavis.com [mailto:j… [at] johnanthonydavis.com]
> *Sent:* Friday, March 23, 2012 9:06 AM
> *To:* Gerald Sobel; Bruce Fleck
> *Cc:* Venture MacGregor Fleet; Jon Nahhas
> *Subject:* RE: Ganged up boating destruction labeled "improvements"
>
> Ahoy to Boaters,
>
> Here is are two important docs. The Corp began a NEPA process in 2005,
> spent millions of taxpayer dollars, and have not even held one hearing to
> date. The process was to examine these issues in detail.
>
> It was never terminated. The doc is attached.
>
> The overall effects that must be consider by this NEPA process is also
> attached.
>
> This is what the Corp is cheating us on, as they have been for decades.
>
> It is time for the USACE to stop cheating and to now comply with the
> process it started in 2005.
>
> Also, many thanks to Jon for all of the groundwork he has laid and the
> uncountable
> hours of his time devoted to all boaters. We should all buy him dinner and
> toast to
> his superior efforts. Then we must all engage the corp as a mighty fleet.
>
> Best Regards to all ,
>
> John Davis
>
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: Re: Ganged up boating destruction labeled "improvements"
> From: Gerald Sobel <so… [at] yahoo.com>
> Date: Thu, March 22, 2012 10:24 pm
> To: Bruce Fleck <Br… [at] BruceFleck.com>
> Cc: Venture MacGregor Fleet <md… [at] yahoogroups.com>, Jon Nahhas
> <jn… [at] gmail.com>, John Davis <j… [at] johnanthonydavis.com>
> Bruce, I really appreciate your support on this. Playing ostrich is a
> losing game but I get so much feed back from people who don't want me to
> "rock the boat", you would not believe.
>
> I copied and pasted this from Jon Nahhas' letter earlier this morning.
> Sailors would best drop what they are doing, flaking the lazy sheet, and
> trim in the working one now, so to speak.
>
> At our MdrVMF meeting tonight, Vic Smith was telling us, the Windjammer's
> Club was so freeked out by the rumors the county was spreading about their
> club losing their building (The County was going to bulldoze it and put up
> retail shops etc there) that they disbanded the Club at its facility which
> as you know was across the Basin, and identical to the SCCYC, and merged
> with SMWYC, which like the story of the Three Little Piggies, is now
> getting huffed and puffed and blown down.by Don Knable, Santos Kreimann,
> and Un-named Co-conspiratorial developers. In this case, however, the
> building is still there, the parties having gotten even greedier in
> attempting to take over the entire parcel on which the Public Boat Ramp
> still sits..you can thank 9-11 fiasco for that. They were going to put a
> shopping center with multiplex on it, and move a reduced sized launching
> ramp to the side of the basin.
>
> (PS: The Venture MacGregor Fleet is having two more Tuesday Night Trial
> Races before the regular season starts, they are similar to the Sun Down
> Series Race except they start and finish in front of the yellow buoy off
> the park, and the center channel buoy in front of the Coast Guard is not a
> mark)
>
> READ ON FOR HYPERLINK INFO:
>
> The developers/County have received their entitlements from the State of
> California. The last step in the “public process” is the signing off by
> the Feds. Title 10 compliance – the Rivers and Harbors Act and Title 4 -
> Water Quality Act. Title 10 is going to be the toughest road that the
> developers/County have faced thus far but they are throwing a lot of
> resources at the Feds.
>
> “The PROJECT” or “Master Waterside Coastal Development Permit” is now
> unraveling and going to the Feds *one piece at a time* (total 8 separate
> projects). NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) has distinct statutes
> that requires federal agencies to look at “cumulative impacts” (i.e. the
> massive reduction of boat slips from all the anchorages) and should require
> that these *individual* *permits be looked at collectively* as one. The
> feds have been continually lobbied by big money and the County who managed
> to get around the Coastal Act at the State level. The Corps is now stating
> that the projects meet “*independent utility*” – a pretextual argument
> that must to be fought in a public hearing and possibly in Federal Court.
>
> The FEDS are the last stop! You can inform any other boaters of the
> ramifications on the huge loss to recreational boating in Marina del Rey:
> 1) Sign-up at the Army Corps’ website to receive notifications:
> http://www.spl.usace.army.mil/regulatory/ - you have to click on *public
> notices* across the top and select select *Distribution List Registration*
> .
> 2) Request a Public Hearing for the projected, “CUMULATIVE” dock
> redevelopment in MdR : Je… [at] usace.army.mil
> 3) Insist that these parts of “the project” do not meet “independent
> utility”: Je… [at] usace.army.mil
> 4) Write a compelling rationale for why this huge loss in boating
> contradicts the statutes outlined in the Rivers and Harbors Act:
> Je… [at] usace.army.mil
>
> Attached is a copy of the boating data from the County/Coastal
> Commission/Lobbyists (that has been skewed by categories and numbers).
> Even the laymen should be able to see the sophistry. Link is here:
> https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxsYW1hcmluZXJjb218Z3g6MTM3NTRkNWMxOTFjZmFkZQ
>
> Jon Nahhas
> The Boating Coalition
>
> ------------------------------
> *From:* Bruce Fleck <Br… [at] BruceFleck.com>
> *To:* Gerald Sobel <so… [at] yahoo.com>
> *Cc:* Jon Nahhas <jn… [at] gmail.com>; John Davis <j… [at] johnanthonydavis.com>
>
> *Sent:* Thursday, March 22, 2012 7:18 PM
> *Subject:* Re: Ganged up boating destruction labeled "improvements"
>
> Jerry, this is a start, the doc shows that the 25' slips are all gone.
> So who do they complain to?
>
> BF
> On Thu, Mar 22, 2012 at 2:20 PM, Gerald Sobel <so… [at] yahoo.com>
> wrote:
> Bruce, I went on the Beaches and Harbors site, and made a call to the
> visitor's center,
> This is one example, showing before and after "improvements" As you can
> see, they'll take up valuable space in the main channel to put some more
> docks in for big boats, behind them will be docks for small boats (I'd
> rather have my small boat in a basin where it has more wave protection) but
> in any case, notice the size of the slips, they are all BIG and there are
> far fewer of them. This is just one of the messes they are going to make.
> The best thing for you to do, if you've not been there, is to drive over,
> or boat over to Basin A and see the rampant destruction of boat facilities,
> and over crowding of Condos...it's GROSS!
>
> The Bay Club will be torn down from the current two stories with ground
> level parking, and be made into five stories with air conditioning
> equipment towering above that.
>
> Kiss all the wind good bye, except for the vortexes that funnel down the
> basins. It will be like sailing behind a "heavy".. flying in behind a jumbo
> jet with wing tip vortexes that have been known to toss smaller aircraft
> out of control and smash them into the ground...in this case, a novice
> sailor on a dinghy may get dunked, or even drowned. In best case it may
> make sailing so difficult and confusing that many would be sailors will
> give up on trying to learn. The County and their developer buddies could
> care less about any of us.
> :
>
> http://planning.lacounty.gov/assets/upl/case/project_r2010-00669_waterside-plans.pdf
> <http://planning.lacounty.gov/assets/upl/case/project_r2010-00669_waterside-plans.pdf>
>
> http://planning.lacounty.gov/assets/upl/case/project_r2010-00669_waterside-plans.pdf
>
>
> <http://planning.lacounty.gov/assets/upl/case/project_r2010-00669_waterside-plans.pdf>
> The Plan for Pier 44 is to eliminate half of the current slips...from 400
> to less than 200. Goodbye to the friendly marina that smaller boat owners
> enjoy, free of big power cruisers and houseboats. :yecch.
>
> Good thing to do is to go on the Beaches and harbors site and look around
> at the multitude of projects that are being ganged up against the boaters.
> Jerry
>
> <http://planning.lacounty.gov/assets/upl/case/project_r2010-00669_waterside-plans.pdf>
>
> ------------------------------
> *From:* Bruce Fleck <Br… [at] BruceFleck.com>
> *To:* Gerald Sobel <so… [at] yahoo.com>
> *Sent:* Thursday, March 22, 2012 9:51 AM
> *Subject:* Re: Can you give me contact info for Joh Nahhas
>
> Putting something in my eMail blast is a good idea.
> But what do I write?
> Is there documentation somewhere on the county plans that I can point to
> and what should we suggest the reader do?
>
> BF
> On Thu, Mar 22, 2012 at 9:29 AM, Gerald Sobel <so… [at] yahoo.com>
> wrote:
> jn… [at] gmail.com
>
> Ahoy Bruce! Welcome aboard. It is diabolical that the County is going to
> remove the current location of SMWYC, all of Pier 77 (they already
> persecuted the former operator to the point where he left for a job in the
> San Pedro/Long Beach/Wilmington area, according to a member of the SCCYC
> who owns a Ranger 26..I forget his name, so the facility is now without a
> tractor tug and crane operator) etc, and say, according to Santos Kreimann,
> that they have turned a leaf, and are making every effort to 'support
> boating activities'. HA!
> Aarrghh%$#@! &^%$#@&$!!!!!
> Best,
> Jerry
> PS: You are great with your sailing news letter. Can you spread the word,
> and send out the address of the Army Corps of Engineers contact I put on
> the vmf groups site? It is our last chance to save this place,
> particularly Mindanao, the Bataan and Corregador of the small boats. After
> this it is going to be a forced death march to Whilmington, with stragglers
> being shot, so to speak.
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
> *From:* Bruce Fleck <Br… [at] BruceFleck.com>
> *To:* Gerald Sobel <so… [at] yahoo.com>
> *Sent:* Wednesday, March 21, 2012 9:31 PM
> *Subject:* Can you give me contact info for Joh Nahhas
>
> Joh Nahhas
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>