Jack Wallace and Chuck DesLauriers hope to get the necessary permits and start constructing the Burlington Harbor Marina, located between the U.S. Coast Guard Station and the Burlington fishing pier, by next year. The 160-slip facility would be completed by either late in the 2017 boating season or at the start of the 2018 one.
The marina would be surrounded by a floating breakwater that doubles as a public walkway, allowing people to stroll out on to the lake. The design also includes public restrooms and a small public park on what is currently the fishing pier parking lot. A water taxi would shuttle people to North Beach, Oakledge Park and other lakeside locations in between.
The city agreed to a 40-year lease Monday night which calls for the marina owners to pay them $27,500, plus 5 percent of revenue above $565,000 during the first year, and $55,000, plus 5 percent of revenue above $1.13 million in subsequent years.
Factoring in parking payments and taxes, the mayor told the council that the net value to the city during the course of the lease would be about $4 million.
When they apply for permits from the city, Wallace and DesLauriers would ask for a parking waiver to provide only 48 spaces — 32 fewer than required. A city rule requires .5 parking spots for each slip provided, but the agreement calls for 40 percent of the slips to be reserved for transient boaters who would be arriving by boat, not car.
Burlington would use tax increment financing, approved by voters in 2014, to help fund some of the public amenities, including the parking lot and the park.
The vote was unanimous, and councilors who were initially put off by the notion of a putting a private marina on public lakefront land expressed enthusiasm for the project.
Independent councilor Dave Hartnett, who said he was initially “on the fence” about the project, predicted that “this is really going to enhance that part of the waterfront.”
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The well-heeled moving into the 14 story mall and the North Ave condos will need someplace to put their boats. Stop Miro’s gentrification. Diversity over luxury.
Coalitionforalivablecity.blogspot.com
More private development from the mayer? A least this will create those much needed, part time, seasonal, low-paying jobs for Burlington.
I guess misery really does love company. Don’t work. Do drugs. Hang out all day. Resent other people who are better off and who have ambition. Rail against “development.” Look for government support. And complain.
And it’s spelled “mayor.”
Of course it’s mayor. I’m not sure which keystrokes I hit to make auto correct display mayer. I do wonder what you attempted to type to make your computer’s auto correct display the nonsense of your post. I’m tired of seeing the mayor’s policies benefit a small few but that’s just me. Meanwhile, the high school is a mess, taxes are high, housing costs are unaffordable based on the income of the jobs available, etc. As long as a few people can park their boats to go shopping at a 14-story mall then all is good, though.
4 million gain to the city over a 40 year lease or about $100,00/year? Someone is making some money off this and it is not the city who is selling out public land for private use.
Typical for you: you type your tired, predictable left wing accusations with no basis. Prove your accusation that “the mayor’s policies benefit a small few.” PROVE IT. PROVE IT.
Who exactly benefits from this marina, 160 boaters and the guy who owns it? I’m beginning to think Weinberger gave knowyourassumptions a livable wage break or overlooked some other permit for him.
“A water taxi would shuttle people to North Beach, Oakledge Park and other lakeside locations in between.”
I can see it now……….Uber takes on the “water taxi” biz, in BTV.
How’s that marina coming? Whoops!!