As a waterfront property owner I want you to know that this thing which as I understand it, is a floating dock in the middle of the harbor on which transient boats can tie up to.
I am for things that will help get people to our downtown and spending money thus I am not anti- this type of project.
I just want you to understand why it is being done the way it is- as a big float in the middle of the harbor instead of a dockage facility on a piece of waterfront in Gloucester Harbor close to downtown.
This is because the antiquated DPA restrictions won’t allow for a transient dock to exist within the DPA on the waterfront in any place other than the already grandfathered recreational marinas and on an island in the middle of the harbor.
So the thing is being designed as float in the middle of the harbor built with taxpayer money.
If the zoning made any sense and modifications to the DPA allowed there would already be a transient dock built on one of the crumbling piers inside of the harbor.
It would be able to be financed privately and built with private dollars because it is a project that makes financial sense.
So we could have this type of thing built on the harbor within walking distance of downtown financed without public money and without having to hop on a launch service which we don’t even know is gong to be financially viable to run on it’s own
But instead what we will get because of zero flexibility in the DPA is the float built as an island in the middle of the harbor financed with public dollars and reliant on a launch service to get people around and no improvement to the tax base from a renovated waterfront property.
This is not to say that a single fishing boat would need to be displaced (because you know that is always the cry) there are plenty of properties such as behind the piling field behind the Building Center, behind Seatronics and more piling fields around the city where it could be built.
Joey Ciaramitaro
Captain Joe and Sons
Gloucester MA
Good Morning Gloucester 
As always thank you Joey … you are very insightful and understand it all.. again thank you…
Donna
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I missed the meeting today , but your assessment makes sense to me . I think a parking garage downtown would do more for business than a dock . The lot next to the police station has been suggested in study after study , but nothing happens .
Transient boaters can use the anchorage in the harbor if they really want to stop , or am I wrong about that .
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The D.P.A. allows for a bottom anchored floats to be used for transient boaters. Recreational or Commercial. An owner can have this float tied to their dock if they wish. As long as the float or floats sit 3 times the depth of the water (at mean low water) back from the harbor line. If the floats will hold more than ten boats it is considered a marina. If it is held in place with pilings it becomes a different thing with many problems. One of which is it has to be commercial. The area you mentioned are not owned by the city so the city cannot build on them. Those property owners have to build on them given the guidelines of the D.P.A.
As for using public funnds. These funds are set up for exactly these kinds of project. Why would the city not take advantage of them juat because you are pissed about how you want things to be done?
You keep repeating big island in the middle of the harbor. I guess the more you say it the more you can get other people to be pissed off along with you and it will seem bigger and bigger the more you say it. If you have seen it you will see that it takes up very little room. What is the matter with you?
Changing the DPA if that is what you want can only start with the property owners. Then the mayor and so on up the food chain. Why in the world would you want to stop a project just because you don’t like the way it is done.
You have a big voice in the community with GMG and your blog. Use it wisely rather than repeatedly spewing what you want to become sound bites in order to piss everyone else.
“Big float in the middle of the harbor”??? You know it isn’t as big as you want people to believe. You say “Public funds” you know they are grants just for this. Again i get that you are pissed off about the D.P.A. why not work towards changing it. Not stopping everything until it is or is not changed.
Many, many coastal
seaport have municipal marinas and launch services. It is much needed service.
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Where did I say I wanted to stop it? I said I wasn’t anti-it if you read correctly.
As for using the public’s money for it just because it is available I think that is the biggest problem with government spending in the first place. If you allowed the private sector to build it using their own funds then there would be that sum of money available for some other civic project no? But fuck it, we can grab the money even if it’s not for the best use we should take it instead of putting it toward something that is more needy like schools, keeping fire stations open or whatever is a higher priority.
The point I’m trying to make is that the City, the State or The Federal Government doesn’t need to spend the taxpayers money to compete with existing businesses who would love to provide that service or already are, when if you allowed the use on places where there currently isn’t any activity on the harbor it would be built by the property owners and you would get a fixed up property that would in turn pay more money in taxes TO THE CITY! So can you see why getting money from more taxes in the harbor would be a better alternative to spending taxpayer money and competing against existing businesses?
You seem to think I have a problem with how big it is. I don’t in fact if you are going to build it which let’s face it is probably a done deal you may as well make it big. Grants that are misused means teh money isn’t going toward something that is a better allocation.
I am not trying to stop anything, please, do not try and paint me as an anti-developemnt guy, if you know anything about me you know I’m anything but. What I AM is however is anti Governmenment getting into business and competing with businesses that are not allowed to do the same things.
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if one reads your rant from the outside it sound very much like don’t build it. Don’t do anything until the DPA is changed and don’t use government money because you don’t think it should be available. to be honest with you i can’t see were this is a big money maker. it would more than likely pay for and maintain itself. i don’t see the waterways or the city doing anything but make Gloucester harbor a friendlier port and bring visitor onto shore to spend money. I can only see this as a win win. After this what ever is the next steps should be talk about as a result of how this succeeds.
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Again, I never said that.
my words quoted directly-
I just don’t think it’s the best way to do it and I understand that you are emotionally invested in this project because it is your baby but I won’t recant my feelings-
I stand by those statements and and at the same time wish you well in your pursuit of getting your idea built.
I wish that you would at the same time as putting in your request for clarification if a recreational marina within the DPA as long as it is anchored to the bottom is legit for the City Floating Marina that it would be approved as a right for the Gloucester Waterfront Property owners as well.
I suspect that because it’s for the waterfront property owners though, that clarification won’t be sought after.
Wishful thinking perhaps but I won’t hold my breath.
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I think i am the one who is saying i don’t see this as a big money maker rather a breakeven and then some deal. I think it might pay for itself and provide a much needed service to the harbor. I cannot see how a strictly transient marina is a very good idea for a property owner who has to make a lot of money. I think that is what you are talking about.
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I think changing the DPA is a great idea by the way. relaxing and making it so you property owner can get a chance to do all of what you have been saying. And way overdue.
It has to start somewhere just like the marina they are trying to put in.
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joey the “the crumbling piers” are for the cod fishermen! cod fishing is on the come back and they need that space to unload thee fish. oh, wait they killed all the cod? well i like lost and that was on an island and every thing worked out? )
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You need to run for mayor! Solid assessment with realistic alternate path.
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Thanks Skip but Mayor Kirk is doing a great job.
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She is indeed doing a great job – except for those monstrous turbines based on shaky financial projections that she managed to lock Cape Ann into for the next 25 years…
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If, indeed, there is finally a consensus on something related to Gloucester’s waterfront it is time to eliminate the counterproductive DPA restrictions and effect a transition to a plan that will enhance Gloucester’s long term future.
Unfortunately, It has been my observation that we have been working around these regulations because we can’t get agreement on the alternative – and until we do, we will continue to be powerless to do anything other than complain.
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I agree with Dave S. above. One way or another, we need an island set of floating docks or harborside docks, Gloucester needs transient dock space for visitors, it would benefit EVERYONE. I’ve boated from Bar Harbor to Virginia. As far as a destination places for visting boaters go, today, we are a 1 on the 1 to 10 scale. Not good. Let’s rally to get this done, thanks Joey for putting this on the dock(et).
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Why build an Island when we already have one? Why not channel the funds to make a destination out of Ten Pund Island, not just transition spot that for boaters coming in, but a place that all residents and visitors will WANT to go visit? The City already owns Ten Pound – so improve it and make that the ‘island’ marina and the wonderful gem that it could be! with more people wanting to go out to it and back, a launch service may have more of a chance at making a profit…
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A well thought out assessment of the Floating Dock, Joey. As Dave Sullivan says, maybe it’s time to reassess the PDA restrictions and allow something positive to be done to bring the(a) floating dock to downtown Gloucester. Those old piling fields are certainly not attracting visitors to downtown.
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